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Wanderlog staff Updated • updatedApr 10, 2023
How long is the drive from Placerville to Truckee?
The direct drive from Placerville to Truckee is 91.4 mi (147 km), and should have a drive time of 1 hr 46 mins in normal traffic.
If you’re going on a road trip from Placerville to Truckee, we did the research for you and compiled some great stops along the way — with South Lake Tahoe, as well as top places to visit like Toyota Amphitheatre and Thunder Valley Casino Resort, or the ever-popular Roseville Golfland Sunsplash.
South Lake Tahoe, situated on the banks of Lake Tahoe in Sierra Nevada mountains of California, is a renowned resort city that attracts visitors for its ski resorts and beaches. Its picturesque El Dorado Beach with its picnic areas is particularly popular among tourists. The city's restaurants and bars merge seamlessly with the casinos in adjacent Stateline, Nevada.
Most popular city on this route
19 minutes off the main route, 52% of way to Truckee
Best stops along Placerville to Truckee drive
The top stops along the way from Placerville to Truckee (with short detours) are Vikingsholm, Empire Mine State Historic Park, and Thunder Valley Casino Resort. Other popular stops include Old Town Pizza, Northstar California Resort, and Tallac Historic Site.
Amusement chain featuring mini golf courses & arcades, some branches with water slides & laser tag.
The mini golf is such a blast and definitely a great activity to do with your family! The setting is so perfect and all the mini buildings are so absolutely adorable! Each hole ranges from super easy to somewhat tricky for the most part making it on going fun for everyone to enjoy! After golf we went in and played in the arcade which was ok. The games seem a little run down and more often then not they seem to just stop working or need maintenance of some kind. There is a lot to do for the whole family to enjoy nonetheless and prices seem about average! Parking is easy, and bathrooms are clean. Hours are great and they are open from 10am-10pm. Employees are kind and very helpful if need be! It’s the perfect place to bring your family or friends to enjoy an morning, afternoon, or evening out of the house!
Shandra Ortega — Google review
Went mini golfing, price for 18 rounds was about 15$. But when you walk in it's super overwhelming. Didn't know where to go and after getting our clubs and ball no help on where to start or how to play. But figured it out after a few minutes. Food was horrible. Pizza was completely way over priced for what you get it was like microwave pizza for 25 bucks. And the chili dog was cold and had a weird taste to the chili so no one ate that. Overall might come back for mini golf now that we know where to go and play but stay away from the food.
jaycen flynn — Google review
We went and played mini golf with our friends the other night. It is very fun in the course has some great challenges. We didn’t spend any time inside but the arcade looks fantastic. We can’t wait to get back and take the kids.
John V — Google review
I recommend this place to everyone young and old. The water slides are out of this world. The wave pool is so much fun. And the lazy river is relaxing. The miniature golf course is excellent and the go-kart rides are super fun. They have a great arcade. The weather is perfect for the day or night. My granddaughter had the wonderful 5th birthday there. Definitely will be going back again and again and again and again!
Lamont — Google review
Outstanding experience! Loved the bumper cars, but the "spinning" was intense. Go cart track is a g-force extravaganza! Recommend riding after "car warm-up" period to maximize the experience
Colin OBrien — Google review
My family and I just spent the afternoon playing in thier arcade and we had a BLAST! Overall the machines were all very clean and sober their bathrooms. I saw plenty of hand sanitizer all over. They had lots of new machines which keeps us coming back.
Every arcade has a few machines that are not working well, so when are we brought it to someone’s attention they happily refunded us our tokens.
Finding The Force — Google review
Took my 5 year old son for the first time and we had a blast! The staff was friendly even though they were super busy. I'll definitely come back... maybe plan a party there.
Danielle Trigueros — Google review
I attended a cousin's birthday party and this is the most fun I've had since I was child myself.
Arcade is huge, pizza and drinks are good, parking is ample, and the place is very clean and entertaining. The package included go-karts, lazer tag, round of mini golf, and a card good for 5 plays.
The only cons are that there is no elevator to get upstairs, and there are no bathrooms upstairs either; also the party hostess forgot to hand out the birthday boy's presents after the cake was cut.
Easy to overlook as the atmosphere and company were fun and exciting. I highly recommend this for parties and events.
iSaiah Scott — Google review
I gave it 5 stars but it is way too busy for my taste. It is insane on the weekends. Parking is also a problem. Kids have a lot of fun though. Recommended for families.
Babak Moghadam — Google review
This summer was our first time visiting the water park and it was a blast. The first time we went on a weeknight for Night Sliding and it wasn’t crowded at all and we had a great time exploring the park and having water fun. The second time we went was on a Saturday for Night Sliding, and we knew that was obviously going to be a high volume time to go. Everything was really crowded, life vests were just thrown around and you kind of had to hunt for them if you needed one for the kids. Tubes for the lazy river were something you had to really work for, lots of people just ended up walking through the river which caused lots of awkward moments bumping into people, or feet in your face etc. we all still made the best of it and had a good time, but we would definitely go back on a weekday. Prices are meh, and customer service is not the best by any means. I chatted with 3 different people on their website and was given three different answers for the same question, so when I called I was hopeful it would be cleared up and I was just given a new answer as well. We would love it if this place offered Military Discounts, or Military Family Nights because it would be a great turnout. Their website isn’t the best either and its hard to get information or navigate through with such little detail about tickets etc.
Mitsue Wilhelm — Google review
We love this place! There is so much to do here, not just the water park. You could easily spend a full day and come early and do miniature golf, video games, then water park for a day or night session and go-kart somewhere in between. Laser tag too. The food isn't terrible, prices are okay. The service we get when we rent the cabanas is excellent. You get your own cabana staff to take off your needs. We make this almost 2-hour drive at least several times a year. This location and park are far better than any others in the local area. They keep it very clean very well staffed and and update rides. I feel safe here with my family. It may not look like it from the outside but in this one location there is quite a bit to do. I highly recommend it!
Jerod Kenoyer (JRod) — Google review
This place has a lot to offer for families. Prices are a bit high and the facilities need to be cleaned more often. Mini Golf can get quite backed up on busy days.
Adrian H — Google review
I've driven by this place a few times, not today I was able to stop. Put in a round of miniature golf with my daughter.
Balls fly all over the place, lol. A lot of the obstacles and challenges seen to come with a Plus 1. One hole had a ramp, but if you don't hit it hard enough it falls into a like running water, and the ball goes down into the fountain. It wasn't by design, but that was the consequence. The person hitting in the group saw that and hit it pretty hard, it cleared the moat or whatever, but hit the cement and went flying.
That's crazy, but it was one of the better mini golf joints I've been to.
Great time
Keith LaGrone — Google review
I took a video of the holes on these courses and shared it with a friend in Canada. She said it was the nicest mini golf course she had ever seen. A mini golf course for all ages with a wonderful scenic flair. I look forward to returning for more action soon. Ps. That was my score. Can you beat me?
Shawn Terrill — Google review
We had a children’s birthday party recently and we did one of their party packages which were reasonably priced for what they entail. Everything was well coordinated, the “party specialist” was amazing with the kids and everything was ready for us. They even got to decorate their own cupcakes! You can customize the party decorations too. The arcade was so clean and so were the golf courses. We are looking forward to spending more time here and trying the other activities too! Shout out to Emery for their incredible work and their sunny disposition. They connected with the kids so well. Will be coming back for another party in the future!
Keira Musal — Google review
We visited in July 2023.
There was plenty of parking, and everything was clean and ready for the day. The check-in staff was friendly and helpful. We arrived early to get better parking and immediate access to the Waterpark. It was a hot, busy day, but their staff was on top of everything. The food was fresh, and the drinks were cold. The arcade was big and the coolest area to hang out on a hot day. I would suggest arriving early if you have a group of people. Place your items and reserve a spot or table, which is really the only thing that is limited in supply of there. If they added some shade netting in common rest areas, that would be a huge improvement.
Vetto Cerrato — Google review
Roseville Golfland sunsplash is one of the most best places, it’s insane how much activities you can do in a small town just like Disney world or universal. Also the passes are super cheap and you can get to the water park for free if you had a pass, it’s 17 dollars a month for free attractions like mini golf, fastcar raceway, laser tag, and of course, the waterpark, you also get free points for arcade! You must visit this place is you live in Roseville or a town near Roseville and theme parks that are far away.
I went there to see Luke Bryan's concert recently. The weather was hot but we had a blast. They have great concerts there. The seats are comfortable with plenty of leg room. If you're disabled you can get around fine. They have VIP seats and disability seats. The staff and vendors are great. Plenty of food and cold drinks to choose from. They do serve alcohol, whiskey and mix drinks. Nothing like a cold beer to cool you off. 🤠 The place is clean and the restrooms are okay. When you enter there are sprinklers for the kids to play in. They have vendors that sell good concert merchandise. The parking isn't too bad, it's slow going after the concert is over. We always feel safe there, they always have a lot of security and deputies around. Also, the casino is just down the street. Great fun and great memories. Yeehaw..🤠
Amanda Eickhoff — Google review
Do not let the "good"reviews fool you. Parking at this venue is the worst you will ever find. Live nation has no reason to be involved with parking at this venue. Photo attached is their way of showing you how to park. If the people working weren't sitting down directing traffic. They were all bunched up in groups of 5+ with glow sticks just randomly pointing. This place does not have enough parking for big names. Once you get to a location to park no one is in the area directing people to park on spots. So once the lot is full people will just park anywhere and block people in. I would never go to a concert here again. I warn you. Go at your own risk.
Levi Peters — Google review
Took my wife to the BSB concert and it was a good show to my surprise. Never thought I'd enjoy a boy band concert 😂. The parking wasn't an issue for us, we got there at 430p and parking opened the gates at 5p. It would've been useful if signs were posted out on the street indicating where entrances are located. Once we parked we were waiting in line only to be told it was the fast pass. Again, signs would be helpful. So half the people were in the wrong line to enter. Food and drinks are pricey as expected. The only water they sell is Liquid Death in cans. Fun experience overall.
angel Ck — Google review
Purchased Box A3 seats which comes with VIP parking and entrance. The VIP parking lot was great, although spaces were not labeled, so we just parked wherever. The lot was not crowded.
VIP entrance was great. Also had access to a tent area with food and a bar. Seats were good, nice to have our own space. If you plan on sitting, I'd advise getting the front box seats.
Saw the Jonas brothers. They put on a high energy show. The staff was friendly and helpful.
Our last order through the box waitress never came, but they took my name and said they would ensure I wasn't charged.
Jennifer Hoglund — Google review
We had the VIP Box seats and had a fantastic time. Unfortunately the organization there was poor. The VIP gate opened late because the scanners weren't checked before the doors opened and they had to go and get new ones. The beer in the VIP tent was locked up and could not be sold because someone forgot to unlock the doors before doors.
Babs — Google review
We went on Saturday for Nickelback. Great venue. Be sure to listen to their suggestion though and get there early. Give yourself plenty of time to park and get in. Also, after wards just plan on kicking back and relaxing for a bit while the parking lot clears out.
Krista Wharff-Collier — Google review
The venue was clean and orderly. Getting out of the parking lot was a long process. They need more traffic control in the parking area, not only the street . There are lots of booths for food and drinks. Getting into the stadium was well organized, and security was quick . I loved the fact that the staff was friendly and commented on having a good time. Leaving, they also said drive safe. Which was important since a lot of people had been drinking. 😳
cindee lanning — Google review
Traffic was controlled, a bit confusing, if you drive yourself, but they have plenty of people to guide you. We took a Lyft, and jumped out close to the entrance. Otherwise going through the line completely was 15-20 min longer. Our friends rode to the drop off. We were already in and had a drink in our hands when they finally arrived. Although friendly, and for a good cause some alcohol vendors, (charity volunteers) had to manually enter your debit info, so the wait was long. Not all were like that, so find one that will speed you right along. Show was amazing. Very clean, seats comfy. Port a potties. Room to move to the music. There is also a grassy area. Next time we want to try that area. Bring a blanket. Definitely enough room to dance! Trying to get a ride out after the show, really sucked! Three hours, waiting. So make sure to plan accordingly.
Niki Mayer — Google review
This is probably my favorite outdoor venue. I've been here for a couple concerts and this is now my standard for every venue going forward. The layout is small, but it doesn't feel crowded and the staff really have their stuff together. I've never experienced a more efficient bathroom visit post concert when everyone swarms there. It can take a hot minute to get out of the venue, but again, the staff are on point getting you where you need to go.
Jen — Google review
The concert was amazing. We saw Nickelback and Brantley Gilbert. I really don't think there is a bad seat. The people inside the venue were wonderful! The parking on the other hand, was terrible. The parking attendance tried parking us so close to the other cars, we wouldn't have been able to open the door. After the concert there was no organization and parking attendance pick and choose who got to leave first. It took us over an hour to leave the parking area, almost getting hit several times as drivers pushed past others. I would recommend concerts here but if you can, find another way to and from or bring food because you will be in the parking area for awhile.
Sonny St. Andry — Google review
Parking is made simple and easy. They direct in all the way from the road. Entry was quick and easy. We had VIP tickets which allowed us into the lounge to hang out prior to the shows. Get there early to avoid the lines, crowds, and headache. People watch a bit and Enjoy the Show! (Helpful Hint: stage faces North! Shade hits stage left 1st.)
Nick Roby — Google review
I was already a fan of Toyota Amphitheater, but I love them more now! I took my mom to her first concert (at 72 yrs young), and everyone there treated her like a VIP. The view was great from the ADA section, and momma had the Best time! We'll be back for sure! 😁
jonnie weeks — Google review
We went and saw Smashing Pumpkins and STP. We had Premier Parking for $60 and it was well worth it. We got there early, got a parking spot next to the exit. No issues getting in or out. The parking attendants were very helpful and there was no issue with parking at all. The venue was packed but wait times for the bathrooms and drinks were not bad at all. All around good experiences.
Bill Dalton — Google review
Wow, this is an awesome place for concerts. Saw Jason aldean, and it was amazing. We set up on the lawn, and we loved. Every second of it, nothing better than sitting outside under the stars listening to country music what a night.
Plugjug Farms — Google review
Love this Venue! Even lawn seats are good! We sat in section 205 and it was pretty awesome! Jason Aldean is a true Country Legend!
TRY THAT IN A SMALL TOWN! Jason Aldean & Mitchell Tenpenny
Sept 23, 2023
Kathleen Potter — Google review
Everything was awesome except the traffic control personnel. There were people telling us to go one way and others yelling at us telling us to go another way. Several cars crashed at exit as a result. Thankfully we weren't one of them. Kudos to the ladies working the ladies room! Huge line with only a 5 minute wait!
Denise Thomas — Google review
4.3
(2460)
•
4.0
(34)
95692, 2677 Forty Mile Rd, Wheatland, CA 95692, USA
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Rooms, guests
2
Rooms and guests
Rooms
1
Adults
2
Children
0
3
Thunder Valley Casino Resort
Resort hotel
Casinos & Gambling
Contemporary rooms in a casino hotel with dining options, a pool, a spa & conference facilities.
Was given 1 Comp night per week because I use my rewards card at each game I play. They also give free gifts if you have a rewards card. The gifts are very impressive! My friend and I had such a great time we spent time at the pool which was very clean & well maintained. The room was huge and so beautiful we were treated like first class patrons. The food was very good. The entire staff from A to Z were kind and helpful you all work so very hard and it SHOWS . THANK YOU THUNDER VALLEY!! I WILL BE BACK. SHERRY
Cheryle marshall — Google review
Congested crowds of machines in small walking spaces. Many employees just standing around looking lost. Tables are full of players during evening time more than day time. Officers outside for any misconduct from people. Great food. Thunder cafe was awesome. Edward is a great waiter who needs more recognition for his skills and hospitality. Laura was great in keeping tables entertained. Many thanks to the thunder cafe crew.
Stephanie Bomar — Google review
Enjoyed the service and the complementary room. All though several thousand dollars prior to me getting a club card and using it a couple thousand dollars afterwards it was clear my luck was not changing anytime soon.
Win some lose some at times but I really enjoyed the friendly accommodating service with the hotel staff and the staff on the gaming floor and cashier's were fantastic. I work crazy hours mostly in the late night early morning grave yard hours, which having a room is really nice. Thank you for the hospitality and great service that came with it. I'm looking forward to my next visit to see if my luck will change.
Thank you
Sincerely
Steven
God Speed.
Steve — Google review
This review is specifically for the music venue. I am a quadriplegic and in a power wheelchair. Mine is one of the most narrow chairs they make (Permobil). I have tried TWICE to go to concerts there and TWICE I was sold "wheelchair accessible" that are not even close to being wheelchair accessible. The first time for Third Eye Blind , I had lower level ticket and upon arrival they told me that my chair would not fit where my seat was. They then put us off to the side where I could barely see. The second time I went to see Blues Traveler and bought balcony "accessible" seats thinking they deserved a second chance but nope! The seat I purchased had to be removed with tools and then it was not even close to wide enough for me to fit. They then removed the other seat I purchased for my companion so I could fit and sat them in a seat we didn't purchase. This inevitably led to a problem when the owner of the seat showed up. We were eventually moved to a different spot. This is a warning to ALL wheelchair users to be aware that what you are buying as wheelchair accessible is in fact NOT unless you are able to get out of your wheelchair. EXTREMELY disappointing in 2023 at a brand new venue. I will never return again which is a shame because they have good shows. Seems they do not care about having disabled people at their venue.
jason smith — Google review
34 trips. Zero wins. Terrible payouts! TV is disappointing to say the least. To go consistently and notice that something is definitely off when the payouts are dwindling, the bonuses are nonexistent, and your money does not go far at all. As someone who plays regularly and has a track record of success, I’d say I have an above average knowledge on how the machines act and react. It is painfully obvious that the wool has been pulled over mine and everyone’s eyes who walks through their door. Yes, it is a business, yes, they are set up to make money, but the percentage payouts must seem to be set so low they are virtually nonexistent (FYI tribal gaming, does not have to disclose % payouts in the state of California, which is a huge disservice to the general public). The only explanation to describe my continued experience is that the slot machines are rigged, adjusted, or tweaked in some form or fashion. you will lose. Save your money. I can’t say it loud enough. SAVE YOUR MONEY!
DD V — Google review
This is the best casino for my wife and I to play at, enjoy food and the rooms and feel the fun. The steak house, Red Lantern and Thunder Cafe are all really good restaurants. The staff are friendly and fast. The casino is always clean and security is all over the place. The hotel rooms are beautiful and well maintained. Our casino host Gabe constantly sends us invitations to so many promotions. He is awesome. The concert venue is gorgeous with so many great acts. Our odds of winning are comparable to your high limit Las Vegas casinos. I cant say anything negative even the parking is great. Cocktail waitresses are all over so your never thirsty. Thunder Valley is our spot. The best of the best.
Jimmy Pendergast — Google review
Thunder valley is one of my favorite casinos in the region. They have a great variety of both slots and table games. I also play poker every once in a while and there poker room is awesome. My only complaint would have to be there service for beverages. I’ve gone on trips plenty of times sitting thirsty and leaving thirsty. Self service beverage machines go a long way if they had them. Never had a problem with any employee interactions. They’ve all been respectful. Only a few waitress who maybe come and go because there rushing and so busy. But to me that is no sign of rudeness. I absolutely love the place. Great time and would come over and over and again.
Johnny Gomez — Google review
Great resort and hotel staff service here is top notch. I want to thank Monica in particular in the reservation phone line - I was having trouble finding one extra night stay on a high volume packed week during poker tournament week and she went the extra mile to find an available room and follow up with me one day after. Really excellent service unexpected at hotels these days. I’d stay here again just because of the pleasant service. Great job!
Aki Suzuki — Google review
They need to loosen up the machines a little bit...
I played two different machines and put a twenty dollar bill in each one, not a single spin had a winning combination. They could at least let you win a couple dollars at some point within those 20 -40 spins.
But they don't.
The only reason I go back is to get a burger from the high steaks steak house.
It's a big burger and 98% of the time it is very good.
French fries not so good, if the season them they are good but usually they are plain.
Thunder Valley loosen up a little bit for the small time spenders.
(The big spenders are always winning more. 10 dollars a spin and even higher).
If thunder let me win a little I would step up my bets a little more.
rockwell owens — Google review
Our visit to the Casino was great, the location had a lot of great games to offer and play. The biggest thing I noticed was that a lot of the slots were kind high on the amount of minimum lines for the game, some as low as 15 others I saw were as high as 88.. No matter the place was great and we had a wonderful time.
The place was very clean and well maintained throughout. Also, the bathrooms looked great, and the new event center.
Overall a great place to visit Thank you for a memorable day for our family!!
Carlos Castro — Google review
This review is from our experience at the venue for last night's Bill Burr show (which in itself was fantastic). Thunder Valley Casino Management and attorneys: If you're going to have a stupid no-purse policy, then you need to provide an alternative, such as a purse check. Not everyone expects to be subject to such stupid rules, especially when everyone is required to walk through a metal detector. Myself and many other innocent victims were forced to either walk back to our cars or hotel rooms to return our purses. Because of where we parked this took me nearly 30 minutes resulting in missing the opening comedian. In addition to a coat check, stands posting such a rule should be prominently displayed throughout the crowded holding area where everyone is queued up to place their cell phones into the required secured and locked phone pouches, get their tickets checked, and walk thru the metal detectors. Lots of opportunity for communication!
The beverage lines were ~20 minutes. Way too long after waiting in the hot holding area for 20-30 minutes.
After the show was over, there were multiple exit doors available in the holding area. Instead of allowing patrons to exit through these numerous doorways, they had security guards standing in front of them, forcing people to walk through the smokey casino.
Lastly, the parking situation is poorly designed. There is only one entrance/exit when there could have been several created in the large parking lot across from the venue to alleviate traffic.
Obviously not the smartest people behind this whole operation. If the bean counters cared half as much about the customer experience as they do their beans, they might have more beans in the end.
Kimberly Scott — Google review
I've never stayed in the hotel, but I rated the rooms a five-star because everything else is five star.
Play bingo for the first time on Sunday to kill some time and from 1 to 4:30 it was a fun time even though I didn't win any money. I spent $75 which was 10% off and the total came to $67 for a chance to win pretty good money though smallest game was $250 with $750, $1000, $1199, and huge bonus is available if you pay extra and you hit your game and under a certain amount of numbers. $75,000 was the biggest option, although I didn't have a chance because I didn't spend the extra money. Complimentary soda coffee tea water hot chocolate. They have a snack bar right next to the bingo hall that is available only to bingo players. Hot dogs are Nathan's, and they are $6.50, which is on the high side for hot dog but what are you going to do?
I was there for the poker tournaments which are some of the best poker tournaments in the world. Three or four times a year I think they have major tournaments. For example, the first tournament was a $400 buy-in in 1,500 people bought in over a 3 day period. First prize was over $80,000.
I even had a chance, I did finish in the money and came back for day too but was eliminated rather quickly and scored $760 $360 profit.
Kevin Lewis — Google review
For my wife and I, Thunder Valley is our favorite casino in California. Their promotions are things that we enjoy using, the game rooms are huge, any game you wish to find is there. They have a food court with terrific variety, and top notch restaurants throughout the casino. The new arena is beautiful and a great place to see a concert year round. There's plenty of parking too. I like the bars and there's televisions everywhere. It's a great place to watch the game.
Aaron Shoup — Google review
Thunder Valley Casino Resort offers an unforgettable experience for anyone looking for excitement and relaxation. The gaming floor is spacious and filled with a wide variety of slot machines, table games, and poker rooms, catering to both casual players and high rollers alike. The resort’s luxurious hotel rooms provide a comfortable retreat after a day of gaming, with modern amenities and beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. Additionally, the resort boasts several dining options ranging from casual eateries to fine dining restaurants, ensuring there’s something for every palate. Whether you’re here to try your luck at the tables, enjoy a live concert, or simply unwind by the pool, Thunder Valley Casino Resort delivers top-notch service and entertainment that keeps guests coming back for more.
ISLAM KARIMOV — Google review
Feels very compact, dark theme needs contrast , overall the night was saved by a hostess at about 11:45 pm on 3/26/22, I received quick response to my help light. Was very nice and happy to help. Even though I told her I didn't turn on the light, she was still happy to help. Didn't catch her name unfortunately, thank you for your help.
The employee improved my experience , she got all three overall for thunder valley. With an individual rating of all five stars.
Y Knot — Google review
The room was large and well laid out. The wifi was fast. Unfortunately the mattress was hard and very uncomfortable. The pillows were nice and soft. The bathtub was really cool. Deep and filled fast, with a separate glass walled shower. If the mattress had been a bit softer I would definitely plan to stay again. Service at the front desk was quick, friendly and polite. I stopped by Panda Express on the way out. There was one man ahead of me in the line. After they finished helping him the two employees walked into the back and six minutes later they came out to take my order. The service was very slow.
Sherry The Secretary — Google review
I left my 16 yr old son in the lobby couch so I can check in (it was in the same area around 100 steps to the desk). Next thing you know the security was harassing my son for being unattended (radioing codes while asking who are you with). There are no signs that says DO NOT LEAVE YOUR KIDS in the lobby couch while checking in. The security said it’s because parents usually leave their kids unattended. I wonder if harassing kids will make the kids feel safer. THIS IS NOT A FAMILY FRIENDLY HOTEL. Lastly, we stayed in the pool and ordered snacks and told the server to please charge to the room. When we finally went upstairs, front desk called and accusingly said we did not pay and that we should go to the pool to sign the check. I went downstairs after taking a shower and the pool staff were flabbergasted and could not find my check. Turned out it was already billed to the room. The rooms are big and clean at least and does not smell like smoke. Pool clean and there are enough chair lounges to sit on. Thank you for the racial profiling experience, we spent our stay reassuring my kids how to handle what your security has done.
Kate Castilla — Google review
Went for a show and the new venue is nice but, two issues ... the traffic control for parking is terrible. They haven't figured out how to efficiently get cars in/out. And then the venue makes you walk out of your way in/out of the venue, forcing you to walk through the casino. I get it, please play some slots while you're here but, it ain't gonna get people to play. Just let us out of the venue efficiently.
Jay Burcham — Google review
Have only been here a couple of times for concerts. Have had great meals at the Cafe prior. The food menu was extensive, food was great, prices reasonable and service was quick and friendly. There is plenty of parking and the casino is fresh and clean.
Judy Schulz — Google review
I felt service here didn’t care/ rude even after giving decent tips. One thing I hated, high limit player here, went to eat at the cafe at 6:30 pm in the morning. Ordered some food, they got me to go. The whole restaurant was empty I asked if I can sit here since I already ordered the food. The old waitress said people here get the full service since you already ordered you can’t sit here. Seriously, the whole place is empty and I even ordered my own food. This is my first time here. I have never seen such behavior at any other casino in the us.
Igot You — Google review
Absolute worst casino period. I was just humiliated in front of the entire poker room because I was merely verbally defending myself from someone who instigated and the floor manager calls the security guards and makes a whole scene out of this. I was kicked out of the room without given a chance to explain and I’ve never felt so wronged or violated in my life. This establishment is a joke and I will never give another dime here after this disgrace.
In a way I see this as a sign to stop going to casinos to save my hard earned cash. You would think the least a casino can do is make the environment comfortable for everyone but I will never be stepping into this filthy casino again. Not to mention this place reeks of smoke and garbage. I’ll be telling everyone to stay the hell away from this low life establishment
Joseph Han — Google review
I haven’t stayed there but the hotel lobby is nice. We love the entertainment offered at The Venue, but would like to see actual tribal cultural ceremonies, dance, song with a cultural center onsite as well to teach and educate the public about being good stewards of Mother Earth. A better ventilation system would encourage me to stay longer. We always make a stop at their delicious bakery counter for a treat to take home.
Roxanne Dee — Google review
They are nice here and they don't trip if your sitting in your car security don't mess with you or look in your car when your gambling, They don't 86 you for stupid stuff like gold country, feather falls, hard rock and rolling hills does! You get free beverages you just go up to the bar and order soft drinks coffee etc for free! All the staff is kind! And the rooms are the nicest and clean! Definitely the best casino in Northern cali!! And you win here the slots aren't to tight! They definitely appreciate there custmers and treat them right!
Lyndall Jean Truelove — Google review
I wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for the wonderful service provided by the cocktail servers at Thunder Valley Casino. However, I had a less than satisfactory experience with one of the bartenders during my recent visit.
Upon visiting the Thunder bar to get a drink for myself and my wife, I encountered a new bartender who I had not seen before. I believe his name is Christopher and he is an older gentleman. I waited for quite some time, attempting to get his attention, while observing him assist other customers and tidy up the area. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, he continued to ignore me and did not acknowledge my presence for approximately 10 minutes. As a result, I had to seek assistance from another bartender, Jay.
I then proceeded to observe Christopher interacting with other customers, and it appeared that he exhibited similar behavior towards several others. This experience was disappointing and concerning, as it significantly impacted my enjoyment of the overall gambling experience at Thunder Valley Casino.
I genuinely appreciate the outstanding services provided by your staff, and I understand that everyone has off days. However, I felt that it was important to bring this to your attention in the hope that it can be addressed to maintain the high standard of service that Thunder Valley Casino is known for.
BB Harlow — Google review
This is a big vibe type of casino. They offer all the typical table games and slot machines. They have tons of food options at the food court and some great restaurants. The last time I was here I discovered two table games I did not know existed. DJ WIlds Stud Poker and Chase the Flush. Two very exciting games. If you're a gambler and like action, I highly recommend these games.
Antonio Vazquez — Google review
First time there my friends won $3K on a big Wheel of Fortune! Paid out within 10 minutes! Tables were hitting too at some points, back and forth always.(But no specials for winners on rooms 4 stay...)
Watch out for your bet on Blackjack newly shuffled decks, dealer won 21 (3) times in a row on the first hand... Good luck!! 🤞
Jody Georgianna — Google review
Great food.
Beautiful rooms.
Great service.
Over priced.
The place stinks and makes all of your clothes and belongings stink like smoke. It's hard to breath here and the smoke stings your eyes. It's worse than casinos in Reno.
Uncle EL- — Google review
I just want to remind people that casinos are designed to take your money. They don’t care about your life they don’t care about your rent, your car payment, your obligations, etc. their main goal is to get your money from your pocket and your bank account and put it in their pocket, I’ve been seeing a trend lately where POC are winning jackpots.you see it posted on IG and Facebook . It’s a good thing until it’s not. casinos are designed to take your money. They are designed to get you addicted to gambling please be careful .slot, attendance will tell you to sign up for a players card so you will receive free gifts meals hotels, and concerts. What they don’t tell you is you have to spend a tremendous amount of money to reach a level to get those gifts and you have to maintain that level every six months so if you reach President level after six months, you will drop down to the beginner level you’ll have to spend more money to reach that presidents level again. it’s the stick in the carrot effect if you don’t maintain a level, you won’t get offers for concerts, VIP parking, and the other crumbs that they throw you. Also, using your players card gives The casino ability to control when you win. They will tell you it’s random it’s not when you have dumped a huge amount of money into A slot machine that Card will tell them they need to give you a little bit back so if you spend $20,000 in a month you might hit a jackpot for $1200. another trend that you see here is the same people are winning over and over again they’re usually from the high limit and they have executive level cards Proof that they do control your wins.
Always a fun family favorite place. Lots to do for the kids with petting zoo, rides, and activities. There are food and drinks at various venues available for purchase. There are zip line rides, horse rides, train rides, and shows. My favorite is the Pig races. And of course they have pumpkins.
Rodney Rose — Google review
It's fun, it's crowded, it's expensive. But it's a tradition. I recommend going during the week when the parking is free and the tickets for the activities are cheaper. During the weekend the parking is $20 during the week it's free. Entry into the farm is free.. The tickets are 99¢ ea during the weekend and 89¢ ea during the week. The Zipline is 12 tickets weight limit is 50-250lbs (on a Sunday we waited in line for two and a half hours), the corn maze varies between 2-8 tickets depending on how big the maze you pick. Train ride is 4 tickets, airplane ride is 5 tickets, petting zoo is 2 tickets (animal feed is 3 tickets) coyote mountain is 5 tickets, carousel is 4 tickets, and the sunflower maze is 2 tickets. There are some free climbing structures and other things, slides, and giant tires to climb on. There are various places to eat on the farm including some food trucks on the weekend. The pony rides are $8 and the face paintings range from $5 for a small item like a tiny pumpkin on the cheek to $15 for a full face paint.
Serena Smith — Google review
My brother invited us and it was so fun! So beautiful! Awesome variety of foods and drinks! Our only complaint is the pumpkins, gift shop, and SOME of the food/drinks are way too pricey.😓😬 But we came prepared with our own lunches. It's awesome that they allow food from home because there are lots of people with dietary restrictions and allergies, thank you Bishop's team!🙏💝 Pricey stuff but we still had a such a great time with my brother, his girlfriend and my mom.💞 We WILL be back because we have leftover tickets and Bishop's staff says they don't expire!🥳 Praise God!🙌
UPDATE: we went back last minute and it was even better this time!(except we missed the rest of our family this time😔) Today we went early morning, packed a hot meal with hot chocolate, and the Fall weather was amazing! There's something for everyone here: agriculture, rides, animals, historical stuff, food, drinks, art, gift shops, playgrounds, live music, fun shows, and more! We missed the pony rides this year but we're definitely planning for next year. Thanks again, Bishop's team, you guys are so sweet!💞🙏🤗
IaB woG — Google review
Probably the best Pumpkin Farm I’ve ever been on!! Went for my niece’s 5th birthday party. What a nice surprise of all the things to do, things to eat, etc. The staff is friendly and easy to approach. The lines were a little much but we were also there at the peak of the day. Loved the train ride and yummy cider. I actually can’t wait to go back! Both Adult and kid friendly!
DBreezy — Google review
Great fun! I take my daughter annually. She loves the animals and train. She also loves getting sunflowers. The cute slushies are with it! I had the float. It was like apple pie a la mod in a cup! Lots of places to sit and rest while the kids go crazy. Love the rocking chairs!
Kevin Jones — Google review
I love bishop's! My family and I have been coming here for about 5 years now. My favorite thing is the sunflower field, but the kiddos love the train and hay ride. Great family place!
Vanessa Rodriguez — Google review
Always fun! Food was amazing! Employees friendly, atmosphere inviting, lots to see and do! Hey rides, great petting zoo "city", train ride, favorite foods and treats of the season, great corn mazes, sunflower field, beautiful pond, zip line, Merry-go-round and more! We go every year!
Loralyn Hansen — Google review
Our family really enjoys Bishop's Pumpkin Patch. It's our favorite of all the patches we've visited. Beautiful scenery, pumpkins of many colors and shapes.
Lots of activities to entertain children: Carousel, jungle gym, slides, petting and feeding farm animals, train ride etc. Favorite of all is gerting a hay ride to the pumpkins to pick one.
The atmosphere is lovely, the smell of apple spice and lots of goodies to purchase from the bakery and the store. The corn mazes are really cool too. The staff are truly amazing and very happy to see everyone and make out visit a pleasant one.
SheQ Linnae — Google review
Love coming to Bishop's. We visit multiple times in the season. I am surprised that parking is $20 on the weekend and they usually don't charge until October but they started on September 30th. I like to come during the week and let the kids play on the play structures. We get dinner, snacks, cider, beer, and you have to make sure you have one of their pies at home while they are available. Every year they upgrade and make it better, it can get crowded but it is totally worth coming.
Rosemarie Zolling (Rose) — Google review
Awesome place for the family. My 2 year old daughter loves it. Lots of attractions, rides, play areas, and pumpkins galore! The place is huge so parking is no problem. Food and beverage is on point and I love the hard ciders!!
Jc Cummins — Google review
My favorite spots are the u-pick sun flower farm, petting zoo and corn maze. The train is fun to go on a short ride and see giant pumpkins. The pig race is a great free show but only available on the weekends. Foods are too pricey. Appreciate the free admission. Parking is free in September and on most weekdays . I go here every year.
Tina Hua — Google review
Bishops is awesome for the whole family! There is a wide variety of activities from riding the train, painting, going on slides, panning for marbles and watching pig races! It's a great place because there is something for everyone. The pumpkin picking fields are huge! It is a very busy location. We enjoyed going earlier in the season (sept.) before it got too crowded. Check their website for specific information about rate changes and available events throughout the year. Their blackberry cider is so good! I recommend this place to anyone looking for a day of fall fun!
Janai West — Google review
Had THE BEST client appreciation event last night. The staff working the fire pits in the 100 Acre Woods was so friendly and helpful. When we needed some items we forgot to bring with us they were quick to find us what we needed. They were gracious hosts and we can't wait to have another event there next year. Thank you Bishops!
Erika Poindexter — Google review
We love it here! So much to do and see. Definitely always a big part of our fall bucket list. Totally worth the drive for us in Grass Valley.
Gold Country Photos — Google review
I loved the pretzels and the delicious apple cider, so much so that we bought a gallon to take home, the family atmosphere was very calm, and we went early on Halloween day, there was more movement when we were leaving but the walk was very fun
BAL — Google review
I've loved Bishops since I was a kid, and now my kids have grown up going and love it. It was always my small hometown fall activity. It expands every year, which is amazing butttttt The downside is that it is a huge "tourist attraction" now & its overly packed with people, which is much less enjoyable.
CC B — Google review
I went blind into this experience. I thought it was just gonna be a farm with pumpkins but the arrival shattered my beliefs. The place is a wonderful spot to bring the family or a date with these feelings of nostalgia. There was nothing I didn’t like and I was more giddy than my girlfriend. Best thing I’d say is the Apple Cider Floats.
Lucio S — Google review
I am so glad that I found this place. It’s a huge place with so much fun things for kids and adults. I really appreciate the whole team, the volunteers and everyone who works there none stop all day with a happy face , Thank you to each and everyone. 🤗
First-run, classic & kids' films, plus a varied American menu & cocktails brought to guests' seats.
This place is great for some fast convenient food add to catch up on the latest movie. Although it’s not brand new anymore and has a little bit of a worm out feel it’s still really nice
Paul Fetz — Google review
The place is falling apart and food is not that good. Very disappointing.
This used to be a place for fine dining and comfortable seats. Now it is sitting in a trashed old dodge with worn through seats.
The theater responded that management would redouble cleaning efforts. The response is missing my point entirety. Staff at the theater are doing everything they can. The leather seats are literally falling apart with holes exposing the underlying foam through cracked material. This makes the seats uncomfortable. I did not consider the impossible task of sanitizing shredded leather. Management's response leaves me wondering how they avoid heath code violations.
Matt Harris — Google review
It was amazing. The seats reclines. It was a bit cold. Everyone was friendly. I had the coconut shrimp and onion rings, a tad overcooked. But it tasted good. I can't wait to go back.
Wendy Knight — Google review
I like the idea of eating here more than the actual experience. The nachos had so much cheese that the bottom chips were soggy before they even got to us. My fries were soft. The chicken strips were good. The biggest disappointment was the brownie sundae. Usually brownie sundaes have a warm brownie. The brownies in this dessert were cold and rock hard. Very difficult to break off a piece to eat.
Melanie Myers — Google review
After a very rough year and a half it was wonderful to revisit the studio movie Grill. The food was delicious, the facilities were clean, and the staff was very friendly. Our server was a little new, but bless his heart he wanted to do a good job. We will definitely be coming back.
Finding The Force — Google review
I love this place!
It even has a bar! Perfect if you’re on a date or out with your family! The food is brought directly to your seat.
I feel like every town needs a movie studio grill!
Our kiddos love it! We love it! Large selection of movies to pick from, clean and fabulously cool to visit! Can’t say enough about the experience for the kiddos!
LV — Google review
Had the worst experience tonight at this theater. We were one of the first people in the theater. The one waiter taking orders took everyone else’s orders around us but ours. Blatantly passing us and taking the order of the people next to us without acknowledging us. As more people came into the theater their orders were taken before ours. It wasn’t until we used the call button were we attended to. My boyfriend and I considered leaving and asking for our money back. I was very excited about the movie so we decided to stay. Additionally, our main courses were delivered before our appetizers. The way we were ignored seemed very purposeful and disrespectful honestly. Most likely will not attend again.
Julissa Castellanos — Google review
We enjoyed the service, food was ok, and we thought the chairs didnt recline but they do manually, just lean back. Adorable movie, based on a true story, Author the King 👑
Tami Saner — Google review
This place was really cool. Went there for the first time to see Top Gun. Such an amazing movie. The staff here was so friendly, they were moving out of the way of guests to accommodate them, they were all smiling and happy to help with all of our questions. The service at our seats was good as well. Our food was brought out within 10 minutes. We got the pretzel bites which were amazing and I got a salad. Even better is they accommodated myself as a vegetarian and removed the meat from the salad. I wish the frozen margarita was cheaper so I could have tried it but other than that it was an amazing experience. They were clean and cleaned up after us when we were done. Can’t wait to go back!
Ariel Alden — Google review
Have always loved Studio Movie Grill. It was our go to prior to the pandemic. Went several months ago and was very disappointed. Similar to the previous review; the place has not been kept up. It’s in need of serious repair. You have a great place there but the conditions have made me not want to return! Sad!
Angie Westervelt — Google review
Pretty comfortable theaters but the chairs are worn down. Fortunately they are aware of this and are already scheduling upgrades. The food was pretty good. My wife thought the meat pizza tasted too much like Pizza Hut, but it had a ton of meat. The chicken nachos were great as were the chicken tenders. The prices on their food are cheaper than you'd expect at a movie theater. The popcorn quality has been a little hit and miss. Two of the four times we've got popcorn it was cold & stale.
Bill — Google review
Big screens, good sound systems, drinks are pretty good, food is not too bad but a little overpriced. I'm a regular there. Buy tickets early or else you'll be stuck in the front row.
Darci McKean — Google review
Very comfortable seats. A great date night experience. I like being able to purchase seats online and choose where you want to sit. Food is better than you would expect for this environment. Not like in a good restaurant but good. Service was great as well.
Steve Rosenthal — Google review
I've been coming here since they opened some years ago. The prices for the movies aren't bad, the bar has great prices for drinks, along with some delightful specials. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The service during the movie was quick, and didn't interfere with the movie in the slightest. The food was good and worth the price, at least for what we got. We will absolutely continue to come here many more times in the future!
Chad Chapman — Google review
Always a nice time at this place. Tuesdays are great for the family due to the reduced ticket prices. TJ is always in a great mood and super nice when serving. Food comes out when ready and usually not all at the same time like a regular restaurant which makes sense because food is always better when served timely. Full bar here too so you can order any drink you would like. They have a solid 2 person menu also. Hard to go wrong with smg.
Russell Enyart — Google review
I wish they would do more to clean this place. Just about every seat, cup holder, and surface were dirty in this place. Don't turn your phone flashlight on. Also the floor is sticky in the bathroom. Super appetizing to eat food here.
Kyle Szombathy — Google review
I love this theater. This is one of those places that you come to, and don’t mind spending the extra money to watch a movie and eat good food. That have a full bar & restaurant with seating outside of the actual theaters, so even if you wanted to have a drink & grab something to eat, you could. You can also have your food and drinks delivered to your seat inside the theater, while you watch a movie. The staff is friendly, and efficient, and please understand that they have to move around in & out of the theater in order to do their jobs. Which sometimes means walking between you & the screen. Overall, I love the whole concept of the movie grill, and will continue to go as often as I’m in the area.
Omar Jackson — Google review
What a fun novelty to be served food in a movie theater! Be aware... if you order liquor, it will come out thirty minutes after your food order. I need liquid to eat food so my food got cold while I waited for my drink, and we ended up having to go elsewhere to eat after the movie. I did advise an employee who came to take my food away that I hadn't received a drink yet so I hadn't been able to eat. She just walked away and nothing happened as a result of telling her that.
It just would be nice for food and beverage to show up together. This has been my experience both times I have eaten here so it seems to be consistently how they operate. Otherwise, a nice experience but if the food/drink isn't what you're into its the same as any other theater.
Dale & Melissa & Kids — Google review
Prices are pretty standard for movie theater fare. Food itself is mediocre at best though. I'm not sure the nachos, shrimp, or onion rings were drained at all as they were all dripping with oil. So much so that it was piling on the bottom of my tray when served. The nacho chips were equally transparent with oil. I can't imagine any of the other items are much better. The theaters are cleaned well and comfortable. They kept the volume up pretty loud in our movie, which was kind of annoying. All in all, if you want a dinner and movie experience, you can get it here but you might be better served grabbing dinner elsewhere ahead of your movie.
Shane Ludwig — Google review
Not too sure why the negative reviews because my mother in law and I went today and had a blast and our food was surprisingly good! We got the 2 for $32 and shared the pretzel bites (they were pretty good! Cheese dip was a little watery), chicken tenders with fries (they were delicious with the honey mustard) and a pepperoni pizza (also delicious and cheesy!). The food is more like movie theater food but it was all like I said surprisingly good! The recliners were super comfy, sound was nice and loud, and if you haven’t seen ordinary angels you should because it was an incredible movie! Our server was super nice and the service was quick but it was also 11:30 AM. 10/10 great day date with my MIL.
Erica Cook — Google review
Nice place. Ordered hatch pasta. 1st serving noodles were not cooked all the way and the chicken was super super dry. Asked to be replaced, but was the exact same. Had the free popcorn coupons and got charged for them. Manager did fix and refunded for the popcorn. Just an inconvience.
Tabitha Perez — Google review
There was a young man who was struggling with his allergies and continued to keep wiping his nose. Poor guy I don't know if he had some allergy medicine. A crew leader/ supervisor said he needed to wash his hands. I was worried he might be serving food today. I wish they did a better job cleaning the tables. Mine had food stuck to it. I had to move a few seats down to something cleaner. Other than that I enjoy coming here.
Sarah Franklin — Google review
Always an excellent experience at SMG! Good food, great service nice venue. The seats are a little outdated compared to other theaters as they are not electric and only have one reclining setting, but still not uncomfortable. Definitely not a deal breaker.
Old Town Pizza is a popular spot in Auburn's Old Town, offering a diverse menu that includes sandwiches, salads, and of course, pizza. The pub-like atmosphere provides a cozy setting to enjoy handcrafted coffee at The Pour Choice, the local favorite coffee shop located in the heart of Old Town. Visitors can expect efficient service even during busy times and generous portions of food at reasonable prices.
Our first time here, ordered chicken wings taste sooo good we ordered another one ti go 😂. Tried their pesto pizza and Mother load both tasted good including the garlic bread. She’s our server was also nice. Will be back again!
BigMama G — Google review
Place was reminiscent of an early 2000’s pizza place where you had your 8th birthday party and invited most of your friends, even Dillon who peed himself the year before. You all get pizza and Dillon puts the black olives on his fingers pretending he’s a gecko, while you take mental notes not to have him on your kickball team at recess tomorrow.
Good times. Good vibes.
Owen James — Google review
This is our first time going to their new place, super nice ,we sat at the patio upstairs and it was super chill huge upgrade .The food was delicious as always, Erika was super nice to us and definitely will come back when we are around this area
carlos duke — Google review
My pizza was superb! The crust was thin and delicious. The toppings were fresh, vibrant, and flavorful. The sauce was delicious but not overpowering. This is the best pizza I have enjoyed in a long time! The service was excellent. The interior is very open and spacious yet felt very warm and inviting. If you like beer, they have about 15 different ones to choose from. This place gave me some nostalgia for the old pizza parlors I frequented back in college. My pizza looked and smelled so good that I forgot to snap a photo before I took a slice.
dan west — Google review
Just moved to downtown Auburn. We walked to Old town for Pizza. We have had Old Town pizza before but not in the restaurant. Tonight we sat at a nice table. It was quite busy with a large birthday party in house. Sergio arrived quickly at our table with a wide smile and an honest desire to give us superb service. I was a waitress for years and can spot a fake smile. Not Sergio. He is the real deal, genuine , but I guess that you all know that already.
Long story short. Best service, best pizza. Perfect dough. Amazing!!! It will be our one and only pizza from now on. Bravo!! Delicious 😋
Linda Jones — Google review
What an Awesome new location for Old Town Pizza in Auburn. You've got to go see and enjoy this great place.
Dineen Anderson — Google review
Yummm! Grabbed a medium cheese pizza and it was delicious!!! Best pizza place in town. First time at the new location. Very nice, clean and spacious. Pizza came out quick and staff was friendly. Highly recommend coming here!
Nikki KM — Google review
Love this old town, loved the old spot but happy they have expanded and grown. Tribute to their success.
If I may voice one complaint, it would be the Ranch 🤣 1st world problem, but myself and anyone I have ever gone there with mentions the taste of the ranch as being less than appealing. Maybe a new recipe in the works? Haha, other than that myself and my family love this place.
David Adams — Google review
Longtime favorite pizza eatery. Located in old town Auburn. Customers come from many miles away. The most delicious pizza to sink your teeth into. Crust is perfect too. Just slightly crusty on bottom as it should be. Pizza has all fresh toppings, very cheezy and very good sauce. 🍕Yum😋
Gloria Barrett — Google review
I'm a new fan!
Party of four, we all ordered our own separate and different pizzas. Everyone left happy. We shared a huge salad and that was excellent, as well. Nice beer menu. All the servers were great, personable and put our dinners on the table in short order.
My first time in and I'm looking forward to doing more research.
Dale Apple — Google review
Wow, this place is really good for a pizza parlor. The service was great. Our host did her job and wasn't playing with her phone. Food was generous portions (most places minimize portions now), and the dining area is very large, so you don't feel cramped plenty of room for large gatherings. Dinner for 2 with adult drinks under 50.00 with appetizers.
It's worth the drive for a pizza night.
Robert Maciel — Google review
The calzone was pretty good, and my friends said the pizza was fire! My one complaint is with the salad. Why do yall only put 1 whole olive on the salad? Just one..... 3 stars for that lol
kyle Downing — Google review
Very impressed with the new location. The rooftop patio is excellent. I used to eat here when I was a kid and they were in Old Town. Excellent use of the old salvation army building. Heart warming to see Auburn being renovated the way it has been in the past couple of years.
Ian Fisher — Google review
I have to say, this is the best pizza I have had in a long time. The crust was cooked perfectly and the toppings were generous. The sauce was very flavorful. Our server was polite and helpful. We will definitely be back!!!.
Tish Abbott — Google review
Came here to celebrate a birthday on a Saturday night, party of 8. We had reservations-- and a good thing because they were super busy! The pizza was absolutely delicious, as was the salads and garlic bread. We feasted!! The service was good, although it dropped off significantly about halfway through the meal. The whole table had to keep their eyes peeled/ participate in flagging down our waitress when it came time for dessert orders and then later the bill. We never did get an opportunity for a second beverage, but as I said, they were super busy, so I don't think that is their normal M.O. Parking was a BEAST. the parking lot is tiny, and Auburn being Auburn, there is very little parking elsewhere. We wound up parking up a S.F. style hill and had the joy of having to hike back up it after dinner. All in all, I'll be back. But I suggest off peak times!
S Keck — Google review
We love old town pizza! I ordered online for a delivery Saturday night to be delivered at Auburn Gymnastics! I forgot to request the delivery time and they were so fast with the pizza by the time I called they had already made a delivery attempt! They were kind enough to take back and re-deliver at a later time. However, when it didn’t arrive I gave them a call, they graciously acknowledged that they forgot to re-deliver (my fault to begin with) and would make the pizzas immediately and deliver asap! They DELIVERED! They pizza arrived just in time and it was amazing as usual! I really appreciated how they were so kind to fix my screw up! Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen on Saturday!
Ashlie Baker — Google review
Pizza was really good. Lot's of drink options.huge open room with many big Tv's and tables.
Brandon Burr — Google review
Cool location esthetically, parking can be a challenge, but that's normal for old town. The service was slow, and aperizers came out with food, so there is no real point in ordering those. We ordered chicken wings that came out without any sauce on them, and the meat was dry, we had to ask for BBQ sauce to dip them in. The quality of the pizza was good for the price. I've been here a few times. Most of the experience was around this level. Keep your orders simple, and you can walk out at a good value on the pizza for the quality and size.
Brayden Dawson — Google review
Old Town Pizza was awesome. As usual, my sister's visiting in town and really enjoyes it when she gets to go there. Carson! Carson! Carson was awesome. Thanks for a great time buddy.
Patrick Burns — Google review
Great pizza, super fast great service and good prices too. Great atmosphere and a dining area to fit any desire. We go here often and our kids love it. They could not do better.
Arthur Bowlds — Google review
We really liked it! It was our second time here. We ordered the cauliflower pizza en it was delicious.
Nadia Molinero — Google review
We used to go to Old Town Pizza when it was in Old Town Auburn, and it was good. Then our kids grew up and moved out, and old town pizza moved to their new location, so we never went there anymore. We recently tried it again and we were very impressed. Great pizza, good service, a very efficient online ordering and takeout pickup process. Try it!
Glenn Simon — Google review
Best pizza I have had in at least 30 years! So many options to choose from. Nothing like you've tasted before! Delicious! Amazing!
And the staff was friendly and helpful. Our server was absolutely the best ever!
Tonia S — Google review
We have been enjoying pizza from old Town pizza for many years. That ship has sailed. We booked a private party. Waited to be contacted (within 24 to 48 hours). After 5 days of waiting, we ended up calling them. That's when we were informed: "we can push a couple tables together, but it won't be private... oh and YOU HAVE TO SPEND A MINIMUM OF $550." Yeah... NO THANK YOU. Bad business move. Bye bye otp. 👋🏼
Shawnda Burton — Google review
Had my niece's 18th birthday party there. Great food and service. Loved the atmosphere too. We reserved the bar area and had a little place to ourselves. Would recommend it for sure.
DAVID AUBE — Google review
I actually live out of town but I visit often and can’t pass up the opportunity to grab an Old town Pizza, sometimes on my way out! I’ve had pizza from many places across the country and this is one of the best! I haven’t had the pleasure of eating in yet, my order is always on time and the service is very pleasant and accommodating! I will keep coming back!
Amazing experience, amazing people! The energy was very similar to how I felt at summer camp as a kid. It gave a lot of "unapologetically ecstatic to learn" vibes.
We held the Screech Owl, the smallest one, got to feed it chopped mouse, and then got a photo opportunity. They made sure everyone (9 total people) got a chance to hold, pet, and get photos.
10/10 suggest everyone goes.
Phoenix Laalaa — Google review
We had a great experience with our private class today. We chose hawk and owl and learned so much! Erica and Tony immediately made us feel welcome and comfortable. They were both very knowledgeable and shared that knowledge in an easy way. Thank you for the amazing experience!
Julie Kramer — Google review
Falconry was on my bucket list and I can't tell you how incredible Kate and her birds made this experience! She is an amazing trainer and so knowledgeable. You can tell her birds enjoy their work. Thank you so much for allowing us to get close to these amazing creatures!
Sam McKain — Google review
An amazing, one-of-a-kind experience. Even with the 2+ hour drive to get there from SF, and the considerable price tag, it was well worth it.
They offer all kinds of experiences with the various types of raptors, and we opted for a private hawk walk (it's possible to choose 2 out of: hawks, falcons, and owls, and I reckon some would enjoy the variety, but we really wanted to focus on getting to know one bird and the hawk sounded like the most interactive one).
After an extensive and informative introduction about the history of falconry, the types of birds they have, their habits and characteristics, we (my fiancee, the 2 falconers, and myself) went out to the wooded area behind the farm with a hawk named Mariposa. We learned the proper way to call her to our glove, and throughout the experience could more or less go where we wanted, call her, walk around with her for a bit, and then have her take off to perch as she pleased. There were also a few specific "tricks" we got to do with her and all kinds of photo ops, but to me the best part was probably just casually strolling around with a bird of prey on my arm.
It's something my fiance had dreamt of doing since she was a kid, and she came out feeling her expectations had been more than met.
We'd seen falconers at Renaissance Faires and such, but getting to actually interact with them is something different altogether. Something more people should definitely get to experience.
Tom Tytunovich — Google review
The Hawk Walk was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Being so close to these animals and learning so much from the incredible team was an experience I will not soon forget. Excellent people doing excellent things. Education is the frst step towards conservation and these folks do it EXTREMELY well.
Jacob Black — Google review
This was an amazing face to face experience with hawks, falcons and owls. Seeing them up close and handling was a magical experience. They are very knowledgeable about the animals and actually use them for hunting. We saw little training toys they use and how these birds of prey are trained to hunt with their human partner. Of course taught to call birds to yourself with guidance and even walk down a trail with hawk Isla on your arm! Overall would go again and take different family with me to experience this as well.
Vera Reyes — Google review
We had a fantastic morning with Kate, Amber, and Morgan leading us on the falconry & hawking adventure of our dreams! It is such a unique experience to get so close to the birds - falcons, hawks, owls, vultures - and to see them fly free. The interaction that they can provide with their licensing, training, knowledge and location is amazing! I would recommend this to anyone - those who know they would love to know more about these birds and those who've never thought about it at all. I hope we get the chance to go back again. Thanks so much for the best day!
Miriam Kominar — Google review
West Coast Falconry is amazing! I visited with my sister and did the triple raptor experience. We interacted with a falcon, a hawk and an owl, learning interesting facts from the raptor experts. I highly recommend visiting West Coast Falconry. It exceeded expectations, and I expected it to be a wonderful experience.
Anne Novello — Google review
Enjoyed the Owl encounter. We had one one one time with about 5 owls. We learned about them. Got to touch them. The Owls flew to us. We seen them eat. We had great picture time. If you are fascinated by owls, this is a great experience. The 2 instructors were amazing! They knew alot about owls ans were able to answer all of our questions. We flew in just for this experience!
Lisa S. — Google review
West Coast Falconry is an incredible business! I've done several of their classes and absolutely loved every single one. The birds are spectacular and Kate and her staff are so knowledgeable and helpful. I enjoy them so much that I wanted to include them in our wedding. A falcon was included as part of our ceremony was truly beautiful. Kate and Leah stayed after the ceremony with a Eurasion owl and a falcon for the guests to interact with and get photos with. It was an absolute highlight of our four-day wedding event! I can recommend West Coast Falconry without hesitation!
Kylie Flynn — Google review
Bought my daughter the Triple Raptor Experience as a birthday present and she loved it. Erika and Faith were fantastic, made sure everyone had a turn with the birds, and were very willing to answer all our questions. We would definitely come here again.
Known for its hoppy beers, this microbrewery features a warehouselike tasting room.
Always good super consistent quality and excellent IPAs Single, Double, Tripe and even quads. If you like IPA come here ASAP. Come now!
Jeff DeGroot — Google review
Great place with a ton of beer options. Get some grub, get some swag, get some suds, make some memories!
KDG — Google review
After a day of hiking through the Auburn foothills , a visit to Knee Deep is much appreciated! A favorite of mine , is their Tanilla porter. I look forward the dark, rich, smooth vanilla infused porter. If the Tanilla is not available on tap , I look for their stoutella, which is knee deep in chocolate and hazelnut flavors! The aroma is divine !
Knee Deep is super dog friendly and family friendly . Lots of tables inside and outside. There is usually a food truck on site serving up eats to soak up all the brew you may consume. Sometimes they have live music playing , which adds to the festive feel of the place . Board games and corn hole is also onsite.
Good vibes only !
Bobby Jackson — Google review
Definitely check it out! Food selection of beer, some you can only get their, not distributed. Indoor activities in the back. Great for just swinging by for a beer and or for large parties.
Arthur Weaver — Google review
Awesome brewery in beautiful Auburn CA. All their great IPAs on tap and some I haven't had before. Watched the final four game and enjoyed some TIPAs and DIPAs. Finally got to go to the brewery that makes Awesome IPAs. Great environment and service.
ESP — Google review
Exceptional at brewing West Coast IPAs, doubles, triples, & even quads. Also have a few single and double Hazy/ NE IPAs, stouts and porters, and some good sours.
It is a chill atmosphere with games usually a food truck, and both indoor and outdoor seating.
Todd Swagerty — Google review
Been fans of Simtra triple IPA for years. Finally had a chance to visit from Washington State. Enjoyed trying all the IPA’s, especially Slooooow Mo, Lupulin River, Tahoe Deep, Hoptologist, and Hop-de-Ranged. Jake was very nice and helpful and we had a great time!
Patrice Weible — Google review
Delightful staff, well planned ambiance in terms of the architectural layout. Well done! I used to own a brew pub and this one knocks it out of the park.
David Lawler — Google review
Beer was great. However, right when I ordered I was told that the prices just happened to change right at the moment. Also, they have food but I'd recommend getting something else. Not the greatest pizza I've had.
Andrew Boyce — Google review
This place is awesome, a huge variety of beers and always local food trucks parked in the front.
Petru Zuza — Google review
Love me some kneedeep and today did not disappoint. Hannah was our beertender and she was ah-mazing!
So friendly and helpful.... offering all kinds of new beers to try and suggestions... nothing like your neighbor moonraker (who are not very friendly the couple times I have been). I will always support kneedeep! Love you guys! Thank you. Keep up the incredible brewing.
Trish Stoner — Google review
Love the venue. Love the beers. Something for every hoppy,malty, happy beer drinker. Nice indoor and outdoor seating. Staff can be a little impatient but they have a bunch of great beers and don't be rushed into choosing.
Joe Aiello — Google review
Great place, well balanced selection of beer, friendly staff and very clean. It's cool because you can see their production line. If you're into sours, I highly recommend trying the Dull Whip.
sean perez — Google review
A very good selection of beers. Tried a couple and I must say they were all good. They have happy hour and dogs are welcome.
Albert van Lingen — Google review
Nice brewery with a great on-tap selection and a atmosphere. The clientele makes this place a pleasure to visit and enjoy some libations. There is usually a food truck outside with tent seating.
Root User — Google review
Outstanding taproom! Beer selection is amazing and the service/prices are stellar. Kid and dog friendly with food truck out front!
Love the wine and the friendly & knowledgeable staff/owners! We did the wine and chocolate pairing today and Mary was great! Thanks for the great wine and good conversation.
Bryan Travis (B-Trav) — Google review
We love Naggiars. You are always greeted with wonderful warmth and welcoming. The wine is amazingly delicious. There's a feeling of family and even when there is no music or food trucks it's the place to be!
Suzanne Litchfield — Google review
This is an absolutely fantastic place to have a venue where you can get together with people and friends and have some entertainment.
In this case it was a friend's birthday and an entertainer (DJ) Carlos Kandia that he follows It was at the winery and so he invited friends to celebrate his birthday.
It was an awesome time everyone there including the non-birthday guest had a great time mingling with the people who were there for the birthday.
DavidC EG — Google review
Always wanted to visit this winery - loved their red wine blends, and the location out in the foothills was intriguing. The winery is in a beautiful valley, somewhat remote - nice drive along 2 lane roads, followed by a mile or so along a rough dirt road. You even get to see Bison along the way. Really. The winery met expectation - reasonably priced tastings, and as with most wineries, you get to taste a lot more than what they advertise. Their outdoor covered is beautiful with lots of tables, overlooking a pond. Great views. That’s where we had problem number one - I guess they advertise the winery as family friendly, which sounds OK unless you have to deal with two mothers who brought four young kids along with all their toys. The kids ran wild, totally out of control and ignored by the parents. When the daughter pulled out a tambourine, that was the end for us - we politely asked the mother to have her stop, and were met with the “It’s a family friendly winery”. BS. It’s not a family room. You expect parents to have some control over their kids. And the winery does nothing about it, since a lot of their customers are locals. This pretty much ruined our experience. Problem number two - every winery I’ve visited, and that’s a lot of wineries, drops the tasting charge if you buy a few bottles which we did. Not this place.
Overall, the winery is beautiful, great staff, and the wines are very good. It’s a great place to spend a summer afternoon on the patio, with a glass of fine wine and some snacks (you can bring your own food). I recommend taking the drive out there and hopefully you will not have to deal with uncontrolled kids.
Rich Bromberg — Google review
Friendly folks in the tasting room. They have the best Viognier in the Sacramento region. If you prefer reds, you should try their Barbera. They have a great shaded patio to sit and sit your wine, while looking out over a serene pond. In the summer, they usually have free live music on the patio on Friday and Saturday nights. They also have about 6 paid concerts with top level cover bands each year. Not sure about entertaining this year with Covid, but they are doing a great job of keeping everyone safe.
Linda Nuss — Google review
The drive is completely worth it with these timeless treasures... the wine is outta this world, the snacks are melt-in-your-mouth worthy and they always hit the spot 😋
Plus every event is absolute perfection and done phenomenal ❤️🥰😍
Irina Bucalov — Google review
Amazing wines, love the service and fabulous events
Angie Pitts — Google review
Just saw the Tom Petty tribute band at Naggiar Vineyards. Beautiful grounds!! Wonderful staff!! Had an incredible experience! Will do again!!
Jodi Reavis — Google review
Obsessed with this place! Wines were incredible as well as the service. Marianne was our wine expert taste pourer. Great conversation with great wine! What more could you ask for! Will for sure be coming back and sending people this way!
Great experience on Chili-bar express trip. We were a party of 11, and went in two boats. We had a great time on the rafts, swimming in the "safe" rapids which was scary and exhilarating, and sitting in the front of the boat and "riding the bull".
The lunch afterwards was outstandingly good considering that we were vegetarians: veggie burgers, yummy water melons, chips, cookies, etc. All the kids also loved the lunch. We watched our photos and videos during lunch and they came out very nicely.
On the whole, we really enjoyed the day, and strongly recommend Beyond Limits. The price was great too.
Out guides Don and Alex kept the kids and adults engaged.
Vijay Madhavapeddi — Google review
Loved loved loved our river guides. Ziggy was a badass and river goddess! We were three families with our 5 children in tow. We ALL had a blast on the river, they accommodated our cuckoo diets-mix of meats eaters, vegetarians and gluten-free folks, and we loved camping next the river (perfect sound for falling asleep) but they also had SUPER clean bathrooms, patios to lounge on, grassy areas to play. So worth the $$$!
Kristen Guzman — Google review
Our church put together a group rafting trip scheduled on Saturday, July 20, 2019 from 1:00PM - 5:00PM, and we had a total of 34 people utilizing six rafts.
In my raft we had six people plus our wonderful guide, Lee! He was awesome! Thank you Lee for doing such a great job getting us down the South Fork of the American River safely and making sure we all had a wonderful time! (Our group had people aging from seven to 63 years old).
Lee also made sure we had great video shots at the best rapids, with two different viewpoints. One view was the forward facing angle from the rear of the raft showing everyone from behind paddling through the rapids and the other was from the front of the raft pointing toward everyone in the raft as we hurled down the rapids! There are also photographer's on the river taking photo's at different rapids too.
Of course these are available for you to purchase at an additional cost. They offer packages that include both the photo's and the video or you can purchase them separately.
NOTE: You can bring a bottle of water/Gatorade/etc., a small bottle of sunscreen, and a hat to wear as well as your waterproof camera (with a strap to secure it to your wrist) and/or a GoPro camera. No small coolers, etc.
I suggest you leave your phone in your vehicle regardless if it's water resistant or not. There's a good chance you'll lose it. Wear water/tennis shoes, loose fitting clothing and/or a bathing suit with shorts (women), especially with material that dries quickly, sunglasses INCLUDING A STRAP (especially if they're prescription glasses) to keep them secure in case you happen to fall out of the raft!
Remember, river water is cooler than lake water and moves fast in most places. You'll be provided a life jacket to wear, don't worry. ENJOY YOURSELF!
This is a Class III Rapid
Michelle Bissell — Google review
Fun times! We had a really fun trek down a part of the American River. A glitch in their communications had us show up and hour early. Fortunately we were able to start earlier because the other group showed up 1/2 an hour early. Guide was good. We came close but no one "left" the raft. :-)
Robert Krinsky — Google review
Had a superb day out on the south fork of the American River with our guide, Lee and Beyond Limits Adventure. Well organized and customer focused, I would recommend the trip highly. From rock splats to rock 360s, Lee kept the day exciting and was always engaged to ensure that our group aged 10 to 50 had a great time.
Iain Russell — Google review
One of our worries this trip was the fear of not enough water for rafting, but those fears were soon dissipated when we saw the upper stretch of the South Fork of American River. Plenty of water.
There was eleven of us in our family adventure ranging in age from 15 to 71 (me) and everywhere in between. We were greeted by our guides, who gave us a rundown on what to expect on the river, and instructed us on safety procedures. Then we were off!
We had two rafts for our party, which allowed us to wage many splash battles between rafts, and in short order we were all pretty wet and we hadn't even hit the first set of rapids yet. A note of warning! Don't even think of splashing the guides. It seems as if they have the ability of lifting half the river on the blade of their paddles and expertly flinging it in any direction with an accuracy that would make an F-16 pilot blush with envy. BUT....I know you will do it anyway.
Our guides, Jay and Mike were both friendly and well-versed with the river and its' various rapids and provided us with just possibly the best time we have ever had on the American River. From virgin rafter to my sixth time on the American river over a span of several years, this was the best, even with the river not at its' fullest. If you have the right guides, and we did, then they can make Class 3 rapids feel like Class 4 rapids. We were doing 360's through the rapids, deftly climbing rocks and rolling off of them, and having a great, exciting time. Looking around, we could tell that every other river adventurer had wished they booked their trip with us.
Larry Smith — Google review
like it's name beyond limit gave us beyond expectation adventures. Views are wonderful. We went lower rapids with dense forest on both sides. Our guide ANGUS was also a forester and a good man with immense knowledge of trees and surrounding habitat. We are very grateful. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
Gold Bug Park & Mine is a historical museum that offers an audio tour of an 1880s gold mine, along with a blacksmith shop and gem mining. The park also features short trails for hiking, an old stamp mill, and a smaller mine that visitors can explore through a self-guided audio tour available for $10 per person. While the fee seems slightly high, the main attraction of the park is undoubtedly the mine itself.
The tour of the mine itself was okay. We had followed a family in to the mine and it was hard to listen to our audio guide with another audio guide playing nearby. It would have been nice to have a transcript of the audio to read instead. Maybe there was an option we missed.
What we really enjoyed was the second part visiting the stamping mill and blacksmith area. Mike at the stamping mill was very helpful and informative sharing lots of interesting facts and demonstrating how the stamping mill worked.
The park and trails looked well-kept but we did not have time to stay and enjoy those areas. It's conveniently located near downtown Placerville making it an easy stop.
Abbie Woodruff — Google review
A nice smaller historic park with a few short trails to hike, an old stamp mill, and a smaller mine you can explore for $10 for a self guided audio tour. The rest of the park is free except for the mine, which is really the main attraction. The mine is a cool feature to see, and is worth doing the audio tour, however I wish it wasn't $10 per person. A $5 fee for the self guided tour seems more reasonable, or even a $5 fee for anyone to tour the park seems fair. Worth a visit if in Placerville, and if you have children.
Brendan Kiely — Google review
Awesome experience for kids. They can do some gem panning, visit the mine, hear stories of the blacksmith.
Victor Berchet — Google review
Loved it. Going through the caves and learning great history was pretty sweet. Don't forget to visit and see the blacksmith- absolutely impressive.
Sarah Pettit — Google review
We enjoyed the mine tour thoroughly! Friendly people, awesome historical facts and demonstrations made this stop fantastic! Fun walking trails too!
Tina D Corter — Google review
It's a small mine, but has a phone narrator, and plenty of cramptness, poor light, low ceilings, and the like. It also has some beautiful mineral formations. It's unlikely to interest many children, unless they're very curious. I enjoyed the veteran's discount. It's also has a stamping mill and blacksmith right across the way.
Maksim Smelchak — Google review
Really nice place
It's open for self guided tours - you get a helmet and prerecorded audio on a phone, and off you go to the mine!
It's until the very end of the tunnel - which is rare for all the gold mines I've had a chance to tour so far
A few of the lights didn't work - so you may need to use the flashlight in your phone to look at the spots you are supposed to be looking at (otherwise it's very well lit)
They also have a full size stamper mill 5 minutes walk away - in the price of the mine ticket - it's a bit uphill, but it's good enough for a short walk (there is trail which leads directly to the parking in front of the stamper mill)
Behind the mill there's blacksmith workshop - it's really nice. The blacksmith can teach you real skills if you're interested!
Filip Zakrzewski — Google review
Amazing experience. My favorite part was going into the mine tunnel. It was chilled, dark, and dripping with water. IT WAS GREAT.
Tour guides (Stamp Mill/Black Smith Shop) were excellent too! I definitely recommend visiting this location. The fee is $12 per adult, $10 for veterans.
Shaddoe — Google review
Not a huge park, but bring a lunch and you can spend about 2 - 3 hours here. The actual mine your walk down was an awesome experience (bring a sweatshirt, even on the hottest day), I would say for all ages 5+ highly recommend. Light hiking in the area and a small gift shop and museum. Blacksmith open on select days.
Adam Nelms — Google review
Quiet place for hikes. My kids enjoyed the self-guided mine tour, stamping mill, blacksmith and panning for rocks and gold. Nice small gift shop, nice people. Bring lunch, there is a nice covered area with picnic tables.
Amanda — Google review
We had a great time with my grandson. The mine is cool and a little wet in spots. The self guided tour was neat to listen to. Kinda small but what do you expect? We bought souvenirs, had a picnic and hiked. What a day.
Our first time at Apple Hill and Boa was our favorite! The BBQ Polish dogs and hard apple ciders were delicious! They had a cute pumpkin patch that our toddler loved! We’ll definitely come back! We went on a Tuesday so the lines weren’t as long and we’d recommend coming during the week. One of the people who worked there said the lines can get so long that security has to close the line so get there before 4! They try to be done with the bbq around 5 or 5:30.
Angie Van Ness — Google review
Great place for fresh produce all year round. And very good hard apple cider 🍎🍺
Lumen Marcellana — Google review
Love the vase variety of fruits! Delicious apple donuts - chunks of apples with the right amount of sweetness, cinnamon, brown sugar. Apple fritter was good but the peach dumpling was the highlight! Yellow peaches with brown sugar, cinnamon filling wrapped with a flaky pastry! Must have if it's in season!
Cristal Yee — Google review
They are open 363 days a year, closed on Christmas and Thanksgiving. We have been frequenting this spot for over 25 years.
During the Fall, they have kiddy tractor pulled rides and a pumpkin patch. In December, the Christmas tree farm opens for the month. They host special events throughout the year. Year round… they have a bakery selling fresh doughnuts, pies, and cobblers. They have a hard cider and beer tasting bar counter. They sell house made jams, jellies; frozen pies and pastries; fresh local fruits (lots of different kinds of apples) and vegetables. They even sell hot bbq. There is a specific ordering protocol for that though. The orders are taken and paid for at the bakery counter and you will be provided a receipt. You then take the receipt to give to the staff at the bbq grill. Most likely there is a line there, ask folks if they are waiting in line to give their order receipt to the bbq staff or waiting to pick up their food. The staff will take your receipt and call out orders as they are done. The tri tip is fantastic.
Lillian — Google review
Had a great time! So many items to choose from! The freezer case has a wide assortment of take and bake pies and other delectables. Fresh fruit and lots of canned jams and sauces. The pumpkin patch was a fun walk! So many pretty Fall colors this time of year.
Zena Robbins — Google review
Boa Vista is great. I’ve been here a couple times and the market has good quality items from produce, meat, and speciality items. The food offerings here are really good and ample parking. It would be nice to have a few more options with the little shops but overall great experience for the family!
Aj Lopes — Google review
Nice stop for an easy farm stand experience year round, with a covered, open air feel. Quick place to grab some apple donuts or specialty donuts, drinks, local cider, fruits and veggies, sauces and preserves, with a small grocery and specialty snack section. There are outdoor eating tables available, and sometimes a lunch stand or food truck.
Alisa Kao — Google review
A very nice stop. One of the better farm stands, I think. There is some food and drink to be had but we were more interested in trying an apple beer and berry wine. We were unable to get the attention of anyone to staff the bar but, in fairness, we gave up after about 10 minutes, so we didn't try super hard. This is the reason for only 4 stars. Otherwise good.
Mike Lopes — Google review
It's not necessarily a quaint and cute farm, but more like, "get all you want and need" farm. We got pastries at their pastry store inside. They had a huge selection of pumpkins, fruit, honey and miscellaneous items. The only thing they really lacked on was apple and pumpkin bread. Couldn't find any.
Overall, great quick visit for everything we wanted.
Get here early to avoid the crowds.
They had a sample booth, a handful of craft and food booths additionally.
Eclarebear — Google review
Great place for your family to visit anytime of the year. They have fresh produce from close by farms, great apple cider, fruit wines, and beers. Pretty good BBQ that pairs nicely with their alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Try the glazed apple donuts - I was lucky to get a still warm one and it was "WOW!"
WARNING: They are crazy busy September, October, and November. We can't wait to visit in the off season!
Mike Isaacs — Google review
I love this place. They always have seasonal goods and food. I love to buy their salad dressings as I find them good and unique. The apples are a must to take home 🍎 I enjoyed pumpkin ice cream this time of the year. The pumpkin pie is delicious and you can also purchase sugar free pie.
C Lind — Google review
If you're going for Mother's Day weekend, change plans. You will wait over 2 hours to get 1/2 of what they state on their Strawberry Festival ads. No Strawberry Pie. No Strawberry Cobbler. The Strawberry Sangria is almost a lie: its made from Blackberry Hard Cider and some imitation pink colored Strawberry syrup with a slice of strawberry in a 4-ounce plastic cup for $7.00 which is bad tasting. The Strawberry Fudge tastes bad, too. The worst part was biting into a Strawberry Dumpling and finding most of the strawberries had turned totten. Ugh! There is nothing special up there-just Boa's way to drum up business as cheaply as possible. I thought there would be something for the kids: face painting, Strawbeery Character, or SOMETHING. No! No more than a few Dollar tree strawberry signs. Too hot, not fun, and bad food. Not my way to spend this first great weekend of beautiful weather with family. Bad job, Boa. You failed!
Laura Stuhr — Google review
Great spot! They offer an amazing array of Fruits, grass fed meats, canned products, fresh baked goods, and a phenomenal amount of ciders and wines
orlando Monge — Google review
It's a gigantic carnival-like roadside stand for fruit, meat produce, etc. There's often a grill for meat, a bakery, freezers of pies, ice cream, multiple artisan booths, and anything else that can be profitably sold. In other words, it's a nice place to visit. On entertainment, there was little, but everything else worked. Recommended.
Maksim Smelchak — Google review
Nice shop in Apple Hill. I should have bought my apples here because they had honeycrisp and cheaper than the grocery stores. They had syrups, jams, and pies and baked goodies!
Get the grilled brisket 🥪 sandwich with the maple bourbon sauce! And the blackberry turnover was filled with so much fruit!
Donna Gonzales — Google review
Very nice market. Loved the samples. Half brisket sandwich was $8 and not really worth it. Still an excellent experience. Arrived on a Wednesday at 10 and there was ample parking.
Victoria Huerta — Google review
Such an unforgettable experience. I went with my cousins and we got the apple beer taster, the pomegranate one was sooo good! It was such a nice atmosphere and very kid friendly. The little market indoors was so charming and the brisket sandwich was to die for. 10/10 can't wait to go again.
catherine yamasaki — Google review
All time favorite place to visit. Of course bear the crowd by going super early. You’ll thank me later. Small group of craft and small business handmade goods.
Jenny Estrada — Google review
I love going here multiple times a year! Best Caramel Apples in California! Their pies and donuts are absolutely delicious. Their staff is always friendly and helpful. *Just know you can not bring your dog to this part of Apple Hill because it is a store.* It's very worth the drive to come. It's open 363 days of the year, so you do not have to wait for the right season!
Samantha Fox — Google review
Not a bad pit stop in the Apple Hill area. Was a day too early to visit the lavender fields in the region for "lavender days". Yet they had amazing lavender donuts that are absolutely worth the trip alone. Yummy lavender & blueberry pie. My first time specific at this orchard for any occasion. Been in the area before, but this orchard itself has soOoOoo much to offer year round- can't quite yet give them five stars until I experience more. I'm sure plenty of folks do think of them as five star. Great Farmer's Market vibes with excellent food and produce offered year round. Happy I poked my head in.. knowledgeable staff eventually told me about what to explore in the area for my liking. Great gift shop ideas, plenty of parking, handicap access & more made this a destination I plan on visiting again, my next days off from work. Missed their cherry days fest by one week. Nonetheless, definitely an orchard to consider when looking for harvest & seasonal exploration! Nice start to my summer.
This is a beautiful drive along a country road. A perfect place for families, a romantic afternoon or even a first date.
Fresh pies, apples and food. You will find many unique booths with handmade gifts, a fishing fun little pond with poles and bait included and more. The sights, the smells, the fresh air, the fun.
You can find a map of all of the farms at most farm stands and the maps are free. Bring your lunch on the drive and find a bench for a holiday picnic. I make this trip every year and will go back years to come. Football Sundays and week days are my favorite days because it has been the lightest traffic days. Happy Holidays!
Janine Marie — Google review
Had a great time here with hubby on a Sunday except it was super crowded. The fudge was okay nothing too great at the fudge factory so was their Dutch apple pie and cider shake at the restaurant. We did pick some fresh apples on our way back which were very sweet. Oh if you've got kids the pony rides look so cute, it's 15 or 12 for a round cash only.
S M — Google review
Stopped at High Hill and picked up some gifts for the holidays. Going back in a few weeks to pick up more. Here's some oils and balsamics that seem interesting. Came across these classic Ford tractors.
Michael Galli — Google review
Years ago we drove our little two-year-old boy out there and had a great time. They have lots of treats to discover that are delicious and homemade. That was probably the best apple pie I have ever had. The one thing I would ask them to make would be their own pumpkin beer. Mixing cider with light beer is not the same. Really great place for families, I remember there being a market with lots of neat treasures to explore.
Finding The Force — Google review
It was my first time visiting Apple Hill and it didn't disappoint. The location is surrounded by the beautiful scenery, pine trees galore and mountains in the distance.
Its an outdoors kind of event, a farmers market in the front featuring apples, all kinds of varieties: Fiji, Granny Smith, Delicious, etc at prices lower than the grocery store. They have an outdoor grill and have meats cooking like Italian sausage, hot links, burgers and more. I think the prices are on the steep side, $13 for an Italian sausage...but you be the judge.
Further in, they have sweets like premade frozen pies, applesauce, and fudge. There is a bar for the 21 and over drinker. They feature hard apple cider, along with other apple beers and wines. The lines may be long but they move very fast as there are a lot of registers open and moving customers along.
Across the street there is a children's train ride and a marvelous view of the Christmas trees further out.
Bathrooms are decent. Handicap acceptable. There were 3 or 4 stalls plus a few sinks.
Parking is free and spacious. Handicap parking is available.
Tiffany Adair — Google review
Their apple donuts are delicious! We went there today, Dec. 12, 2021. It was drizzling. Not too many people. If you go there during the peak season, September/October, expect the line to be long. Apple pie at the Pie House is great! But I don't recommend buying your lunch there or any meal. It's just too expensive for mediocre meal.
Rexy Hassell — Google review
It has been 15 years or so since the last time I was here and wow has it changed. I am surprised by how many things are sold and by how many people come to visit. If you don't get here by 7am you might end up in a long line of cars looking for a parking spot waiting on the road. A really cool car show happened during my visit. I really enjoyed the fresh apple doughnuts and coffee.
Jason Zerbel — Google review
Fun spot, nice pond with ducks. Theres a jewelry guy there whose stuff is excellent.
orlando Monge — Google review
High Hill Ranch is a part of our family's fall traditions. We come here first thing in the morning for cider and donuts. Our kids like to play around the lake and watch the fishing. They have ridden the ponies before, and they loved it, but there's always a long line and the price is high for participating more than once. There are plenty of restrooms and porta-potties available, which is really nice. There's usually something new each time, like face painting or a balloon artist.
We usually check out some of the craft vendors and then head out to another farm for apple picking. It's a great place to start our Apple Hill Day.
This year was the most crowded we've ever seen it! The parking attendants are always so organized, and it's really appreciated since there's so many different places to park.
Liz Bethoney — Google review
This place is way more of a mob scene than I recall from my last visit (2018). Think: Flea Market on steroids. That being said, the Cat Herders do a bang up job keeping traffic going inside the property proper. On the way in is a whole other story. I do love their Asian pears. And the family friendly atmosphere is there. We brought a visitor from Peru. Make sure you check out the vendors you patronize so you know if you are actually receiving High/Apple Hill goods. Many aren't. Yet there are plenty of quality handcrafted items to select from. I think my frequency of visits is good at once every 5 years. YMMV
myna nacare — Google review
Fun for the whole Family. Had a blast so many different vendors to explore awesome food and treats available. And you can fish for rainbow trout at the fishing hole. Such a fun time and beautiful memories.
jaycen flynn — Google review
Delicious pies and food, a little pricey but worth the experience. The pie house restaurant does serve more than 5 different varieties of pies and cakes. You have to go inside to see the signs for deserts. Outside you can buy whole pies only. Lots of seating. There are also homemade donuts but the line was pretty long. Hay ride around the orchard is very short really not worth the price but an experience fun for kids and dogs. The market had fresh caramel and other candied apples and goodies. Also, fresh fruit in season, jams, jellies and other sweets. Many local vendors selling unique crafts and parking wasn't too bad. I will definitely go to the other locations to check out more variety and try more pies!
Suzanne “Suz” Patterson — Google review
Our family makes the drive to Apple Hill every October for the fresh pies, pastries, great lunches and craft vendors that can be found at many of the locations. Bringing home the fresh Cider and treats is the highlight of the experience.
Jesse Casey — Google review
Great place for the family. A few of activities, places to grab a bite and tons of small local artisan shops selling cool stuff! Don’t forget to try their apple donuts and pies!
Nestor Ramirez — Google review
I always enjoy going to High Hill! It's fun to browse the shops and pick up pies, donuts, turnovers! Be prepared to bring cash because there is a slight charge to use a credit card.
Landmark 1851 hotel with period-style rooms, a restaurant & a saloon, plus Wi-Fi & breakfast.
We were at the Holbrooke for a week and had a wonderful and restful time. The hotel staff are friendly, helpful and will go out of their way to help. The room was very comfortable. The hotel restaurant is quite good. We ate there several times and the food was fresh, flavorful and very well prepared. The atmosphere is relaxed, it is an easy place to spend time. We normally would not stay so long but we were here to visit a friend in the hospital. During the week, I broke my leg (not at the hotel) and the staff were extremely helpful and accomodating. If I ever return to Grass Valley I will certainly stay at the Holbrooke.
Susan Gutman — Google review
Love this beautifully remodeled hotel.
We had a birthday dinner here (right after getting married!) and it was great. Food was delicious, staff was attentive and the atmosphere was wonderful.
There’s another bar downstairs with its own DJ too.
The only small oddity for us the fact that we seemed to be seated in the lobby. Not the saloon.
There’s a single table in the main room, it’s near the door and the chairs were also different. Almost like an afterthought or a kids table lol.
Riza Khan — Google review
Four of us went to the Holbrooke Hotel for Sunday brunch. It was buffet. The place where we got the food was pretty small, making it difficult for more than two or three people were serving themselves. The patio was very pleasant with umbrellas for shade, and there was a guy playing the guitar.
Other than spending time with good friends, the most memorable parts about the meal were how disappointing the food was and the minimal service (like the waiter asking what we wanted to drink when only half of us had arrived and never coming back to ask again). None of us thought the food was very good, and somehow a large piece of beef brisket ended up in a vegetarian omelette. We won't go back for brunch anytime soon.
Rod T. — Google review
The hotel seems to be beautiful. Really nicely renovated historic hotel. Disappointed I wasn’t visited by any ghosts considering everyone saying this place is haunted.
The hotel staff was very nice, the bar staff was nice enough. This is a great hotel for a romantic trip, but I was staying for work. The rooms just simply aren’t equipped for business stays.
There is no desk or table to sit at, there was no TV, microwave, or fridge. There is no in-room climate controls. There is like one single outlet for power. There were basically no modern amenities, yet there is a laughable $15 “Amenities charge” when you check in. I am very confused on what this charge is supposed to be for. Maybe just rename it so it makes sense?
The bed was very, very firm, which for some isn’t terrible, just be prepared for it!
Overall, not at all a bad stay, just doesn’t exactly fit my needs! I would come back with my wife for a weekend, and probably love it.
Justin B — Google review
My family and friends stayed at the Holbrooke for my wedding (my wedding ceremony and reception was at another venue) and the Holbrooke was fabulous! All my guests all loved it! The Holbrooke was the perfect place to show off our beautiful town of Grass Valley<3
I think the best part was that my guests kept meeting each other by coincidence in the hotel bar and restaurant and it was a great way for everyone to get to know each other. When the guests first arrived Thurs night, there was a band playing and it set the tone for the guests to be so excited about their visit! Then the views from front of the hotel bar was fun for people watching. And the outside back patio was a wonderful place to relax and have a drink. I think we tasted and enjoyed all the "bar bites" on the menu over the course of the weekend, but my favorite was the fried brussel sprouts- very tasty!
All of our guests liked their hotel rooms. Some people stayed in the main building and others in the Purcell House. Our guests said the beds were comfortable and that the rooms had a lot of charm! I would definitely recommend staying at the Holbrooke, and it is a very fun and interesting place for out of town guests to learn about Grass Valley!
Another note is that every staff member was very helpful, professional and kind: from my initial emails exchanges with Sonya about wedding hotel reservations to Fiona answering all of my questions at the front desk, everyone working at the Holbrooke exceeded our expectations. Even one of my family members commented on how nice everyone was at this hotel! Thank you Holbrooke Hotel for creating the best atmosphere for our wedding guests!
KC AcuYogini — Google review
Wonderful ambiance, room was very comfortable and charming. Great location and history. Dinner was tasty. The red rice and short rib was great. Your complimentary breakfast is a different story. Not so good.
Art Penaflor — Google review
Wonderful remodeling and updating. The bar is beautiful and lovely and service great. The only downside is that the restrooms are down a long flight of stairs, which is daunting for those of us elders, and impossible for such as my disabled husband. Don't understand that at all!
UPDATE: Thank you Holbrooke for the clarification. We did not know about the main floor restrooms or the elevator! Appreciate it, and see you again.
Micque Li — Google review
Great location and beautiful property. Service is very slow and best suited for vacationers and not people who are on business trips like I was. Main property has floor music on till 10pm at least if not longer, that can be heard and felt clearly in the rooms, carriage house will probably be better suited for work trips. I'll probably stay here again, but I'm not too eager for it. Their sister property, The Exchange Hotel, was a much better stay for me.
Sujatha K. Hedrick — Google review
The historical aspect is pretty awesome. Rooms were small but cute and pretty clean. Hotel staff was very friendly and helpful. Morning coffee and tea by the room was nice, the scones they served were way too sweet though.
The bartenders on Fri night sucked. Seemed like both bartenders had customers they were focusing on way more than they should be. There was maybe 6 people at the bar with 2 bartenders and it took more than 5 minutes for one of them to acknowledge us when we sat down. They weren't busy making/serving drinks but just making small talk with the other customers so that wasn't a great experience on our first night. We skipped the bar the rest of the weekend.
Caleb Hunt — Google review
Beautiful historic hotel and cozy, well furnished rooms to complement the historic character. Bed was cozy and comfortable. Staff were so sweet and friendly.
I wish I could give a full 5 stars to this place, however there are some serious issues. I stayed in the back carriage house in one of the upper rooms. There is very little noise insulation and you can hear even the quietest of conversations. The biggest issue is the main door to the building, which automatically slams closed whenever someone uses it. It literally shakes the whole building when it slams closed. The other doors rattle and the bed shakes. It wakes you up every time someone comes and goes. It is frequently used in the mornings when staff set up for morning coffee and scones, so there are several startling, shaking, bangs waking you up before 7am.
I hate to write such a negative review for such a beautiful place and for something that can be hard to fix on and old historic property. Perhaps adjust the automatic door closer or instruct staff and guests to mind the door and post a sign reminding the same?
Rachelle B-R — Google review
The historic Holbrooke Hotel is in Grass Valley, California about 60 miles from the Sacramento airport. It’s a quaint, cozy town with shops and restaurants. The Holbrooke Hotel is located in the heart of downtown Grass Valley and is notable for being the oldest hotel in continuous operation since 1862. Charming hotel rooms, no TVs, old-fashioned tubs, and the Golden Gate Saloon, make it a rustic and historical experience.
Everything is slower here; take time to unwind. Spend time soaking in the tub or sitting on the balcony overlooking West Main Street.
The hotel serves light refreshments and coffee in the morning.
The hotel is comfortable but you will hear some noise from the street and people above.
The old fashioned windows open and you can take in fresh air. But the in-room fireplace is for aesthetic purposes only.
For me, the bed was too firm. The hotel graciously put an extra comforter on the bed and that worked.
Phoebe Chongchua — Google review
The hotel is beautiful, but the staff is truly what makes the Holbrooke 5-stars.
We are staying for a week, and a few days in a big snow storm hit Grass Valley and we’re going on day two of no power in the town. In spite of this, their staff has gone above and beyond to make everyone comfortable and safe. Those of us still here have been provided with coffee and tea, shovels to dig our cars out, games to play, and meals with what was available in the kitchen. They are truly rockstars and we can’t recommend staying here enough.
When there is power, the Golden Gate Saloon has fabulous food and drinks and the rooms are spacious and well appointed. We’ll definitely be making this our go-to place to stay when we’re in Grass Valley! (Extra thank yous to Anthony and Amanda who are incredible)
Laura Brisson — Google review
We had a wonderful staycation. The rooms are beautifully remodeled. I love that there are no TVs in the rooms. Our room was a little bit loud in the morning since it is right on the main road. One of my favorite spots to eat in Grass Valley.
Tara Kellermann, Realtor — Google review
This was such a cute hotel. The lobby/lounge/bar area are absolutely gorgeous. There’s an outdoor dining area. In addition to the indoor dining area. There are outdoor heaters so even if it’s a little chilly out it’s still enjoyable. The rooms can run a little on the small side, but are incredibly cute, warm, and inviting.
I feel like the hallways give off a little bit of “The Shining” vibe, but it’s still super cool and I’m very glad we chose this place to stay. The service was great, the front desk was extremely helpful when we realized our bathroom lighting didn’t work and they were able to move us to a different room . Would stay again.
Stefani Storm — Google review
I went In to your establishment with 6 girlfriends/colleagues for lunch. We had just finished spending our time at the Del Oro and we opted for your establishment for cocktails and lunch. 5 had never been there before and as a resident if Grass Valley I was excited to share the local experience with them.
The server was very snobby and rude. My friend asked which soft drinks were available and the waitress immediately suggested a diet coke. This was such a rude assumption and our friend was offended. She was not a heavy set person at all. We had to laugh about it. The server continued to treat us as though we were below her level of class.
Which was insulting. We're a group of teachers and principals.
We were so completely turned off that we left after our first round for a facility that actually welcomed us.
I was very embarrassed. I have lived her for close to 20 years and have never been treated like this before.
Fire — Google review
Nicely restored gem of a hotel with super comfortable beds & owners with an eye for design detail. That being said, back of hotel, where guests enter from parking lot was a mess outside the kitchen area when we arrived for check-in & then again when we departed, service left something to be desired in the bar & towels in rooms could use an upgrade. Amenity fee is super annoying, since there is nothing to justify an extra $15 dollars on top of the room stay (bad corporate trend). Seems off brand for an otherwise laid back & casually elegant, boutique property. With some little detailed improvements to guest experience, this place would easily be 5 stars.
Christopher Greenwald — Google review
We had the king suite right up front with balcony overlooking the - at times busy street. Bed was comfy. We had our own control for heat/ac. Mini honor fridge filled but I still was able to put a few items in it. Huge bathroom with tub & shower. As stated no TV. Had Several outlets for plugging stuff in. Toilet a little fussy due to I guess old pipes but we were gentle and had no issues. Big armoire to hang clothes. Parking was easy. Enter right through the back and the elevator close by. We could hear music but not sure where it was coming from as bar has no band. We enjoyed our stay and appreciated how convenient it was to the Center for the Arts, and shopping, etc. We would stay here again for sure!
Karla Rockberg — Google review
We stayed at this lovely property for a wedding that was hosted on-site. A beautiful historic building with a mix of upscale and vintage decor, and a big splash of Christmas.
Most of the staff were very friendly throughout the weekend. Room was cozy and spacious, though I must warn you….if you are in the room at the top of the stairs…be sure your door latches *all the way* shut. Not once, but twice, other guests thought our room was a conference area or common room and tried to come in! We laughed it off but luckily it wasn’t in the middle of the night.
Kudos to offering the scones at the coffee cart—super yummy! Would definitely stay here again if I’m in town.
Jess Geller — Google review
Room was charming and immaculate with a comfortable bed. The temperature was a bit cool with no option available to adjust. A comfortable chair to sit in would have been nice.
The whole experience was still positive as the bar and restaurant were great as was the breakfast.
Susan Komure — Google review
This hotel is Fantastic! First visit was in February. Back again here in March. Both stays were in the Purcell house. They have gone above & beyond accommodating all of my requests. Great location where you can park at the hotel and walk to nearby shops.
The only con is the receptionist controls the heat for the Purcell house. It can get noisy due to traffic & other guests in the building.
Joyce Stubee — Google review
I’ve recently been back to after the menu change and WHAT A IMPROVEMENT!! I really enjoyed my meal, I had the elk, chicken liver mousse and calamari all very tasty. I’m giving it 4 stars because I also had lunch there and although it was still good it was a little basic and could be better.
Phoenix Kuzara — Google review
Just Wow! Every aspect of our stay was spectacular, from the outstanding customer service to the immaculate rooms. The design & decor is stunningly beautiful & I felt like I was back in time. Not to mention the delicious coffee & scones for breakfast. I was very impressed to say the least. Can’t wait to go back!
Debbie Campbell — Google review
I stayed on 11-2-23 to 11-3-23 and the ladies the night of and following morning were amazing in finding accommodations last minute while attending to a loved one in the hospital. They went above and beyond! The room was beautiful and unique with a claw soaking club and king size bed. The coffee and scones delivered in the morning were perfect. Lovely property, staff, and music on sight♥️ Thank you, I absolutely recommend you book a stay!
The site of this state's oldest gold mine has miles of trails to hike, bike or explore on horseback.
This is a beautiful park! It's well maintained, the staff are friendly and informative, and it's amazing to explore. Hal the blacksmith was wonderful. The gift shop has a great variety of souvenirs and is so inexpensive I almost felt bad for paying so little (this goes for the $5 entry fee as well). Donate to the blacksmith shop and the donation box in the visitors center! I'll definitely be back.
sara dyson — Google review
Super cool park if you are in the area, don’t need to drive couple hours just to come here, only if you are in the area. They have a rose garden which is not season yet that would be super pretty, pretty cool to take a look at everything! Everyone was super friendly here and they have picnic tables outside for you to eat! Fun day!
LLL — Google review
What a really cool place! If you are in to California Gold Mining History or just American history in general…definitely a must see! The preservation of the buildings and grounds were very well maintained so being able to put yourself in the lives of the people who once roamed the grounds was easy to do. They did have the blacksmith house up and running which is always such a cool craft to watch. Even more awesome was they had an opening you could walk down in to, to see how the workers got down one of the mine shafts! Overall such an amazing property. There are also miles of trails you can hike around the park so if you don’t want to pay to get into the attraction, you can at least walk around and see it all from afar. Probably not a place I would pay to get in to again unless we had friends or family in town but if you are driving through / visiting…this is a great stop!!
Alicia Bustamante — Google review
There are three types of gold mining. Empire mines is hard rock mining. The State Park interpretive guide [ranger] was excellent. So knowledgeable though he was a volunteer. We learned about the functions if the various buildings at the mine and were given a demo of the key engines driving the mining machines. Went to the blacksmith shop on our own and also the administrative offices and assay office.
The guide did take us to the top of the mine shaft and had a wealth of information about the mine itself and the men who worked it.
There is a small but informative museum and a small gift shop, this latter just being average in its offerings
Plenty of parking and clean rest rooms.
Tassey Russo — Google review
Cool place, and the $5.00 entry fee includes optional tours. I think you're really getting a deal. I don't think they do the mine tours anymore, but the cottage tour is still worth doing, and has been expanded in recent years to include the clubhouse and part of the grounds. That being said, I work for State Parks and I really think they should pay their tour guides. And it would be nicer if they conducted more then just one tour a day.
The mine yard is really cool as well and features a small street front of French style building.
The roads are a little bit confusing though. We didn't realize you could drive further and park by the visitor center, so we ended up having to walk over a mile. They really need to post some better signage.
briantravelman — Google review
Amazing place worth visiting every single time you are passing by. The rose garden trees grass fountains and of course the mine and history of the miners are absolutely amzing.
Darius Zeb — Google review
Such a fun park and such friendly helpful rangers. For $5 per adult this park has soo much you can do. We actually ran out of time. The tour was also so fun. A must visit if you are around Nevada City.
sushma alphonsa — Google review
Kids loved it. $5 for 5 and older. Very cool model of the extensive mine. A rock specimen collection. And the blacksmith made my kids rings, in minutes, by eye that fit them for $1. Educational was to kill a few hours.
Sarah Hathorne — Google review
The best place in the state to learn about the impact of mining in California during the 1849 Gold Rush.
Add free parking for day hikers and a free museum to boot this is a must see. Conveniently located outside the historic town of Nevada City just off the Colfax Highway be sure to stop by the next time you’re in beautiful NevAda County
Your professional and very friendly State Rangers will assist with any needs. This park has a number of attractions and is very popular with many groups including California history buffs, mineral buffs, hikers, walkers and also bridal wedding planners; a popular local venue to get hitched!
Learn about the other three state parks in the area that look at the Gold Rush through other lenses.
Steven Sosnowski — Google review
Wonderful time at the mine! We had a large group on a guided tour that was led by an experienced and entertaining couple who filled the walking tour with stories and pictures of what it was like to be here when the mine was fully operational--very cool! Although I can't imagine how obnoxious the stampers must have been on their nonstop mission to extract every speck of gold from the tailings they brought up from thousands of feet below. I only wish there were a way to tour the mine itself but these tunnels may never be dry again, especially after all the rain and snow we got this past Winter!
William Vlach — Google review
It's so interesting to be able to see the mine shaft. The area where the mine is was gravel ground so definitely not for wheelchair users. The rest of the grounds have sidewalks. There are some of the most beautiful trees and flowers that you can meander through.
We enjoyed the experience.
Molly McKinley — Google review
Beautiful setting with a very interesting history. Tours of the mine shaft entrance and some of the buildings on the grounds are worth the time. This park was mostly easy to walk around. I think someone in a wheelchair or other mobility aid might struggle through the gravel areas.
Tim — Google review
Nice place to explore. Gift shop was priced very reasonable and nice front staff and it was only $5 to enter
Areef Nahk — Google review
This place is to natch , the tour was fantastic, and the grounds are well manicured. The tails along the park are very nice for the dogs , people, and horses alike. I love this park 😍😍😍😍😍
laura goodwin — Google review
This was one of the safest and most prosperous gold mine in state of California. Established around 1850s, the mine produced 165 tons of gold during its operation, has 11,000 feet deep and 367 miles long passages. This was a hard rock mine where rocks were extracted and pulverized and further treated with mercury or arsenic to extract gold from the slurry. They do have a guest house built like a English manor and few remnants of offices, equipments, workshops and houses. Well maintained and quite interesting! The fall colors within the park are just beautiful. There is a pool, a step garden and lots of trees. Restrooms are outside the visitor center. Fee is $5 per 6 and above.
Ram Dongre — Google review
I fell in love with Empire Mine when I was young. It has been many years since I last visited, and I still walk around the park in awe of the design and beauty. The house tour and the history behind the mine is incredible and inspiring. We were even able to watch some docent blacksmiths on site. I recommend this park to all mining history buffs out there. It's crazy to think of how people survived that Era.
Jennifer Daubert — Google review
Absolutely beautiful place.
The tour guide was boring( no offense). Glad we read some of the history before attending the tours of the home and mine.
Lisa Hawkins — Google review
This is a great trip back into the pass!! Go, it has a 5 dollar admission fee!! OMG!! 5 bucks... Two guided tours are given and it's an educational experience!! Go!! Take your kids and let them learn about the Gold Rush!!
J Dub — Google review
Beautiful, quiet , tall trees, and greenery is the best part of this beautiful park . Along with a great historical story told by the local tour guide . The pictures will speak for themselves but I highly suggest to walk around the beautiful estate and discover the history of mining .
Foresthill is a census-designated place in Placer County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,692 at the 2020 census, up from 1,483 at the 2010 census. Wikipedia.
Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park offers camping, fishing, hiking trails and an opportunity to explore Gold Rush-era buildings. The park is a testament to the determination of gold seekers who used hydraulic mining to carve cliffs in the landscape. The area has a mesmerizing ghost town with a barber shop, ice-cream parlor and saloon that are now abandoned but provide an insight into California's history.
Very interesting piece of California History. We met one of the park ranger who was very knowledgeable. And then such a beautiful landscape.
Anne-Marie Corellou — Google review
Beautiful area, not spectacular by any means but still a very nice place to hike. The woman working at the museum was informative and kind. Very quiet, I didn’t run into a single person on the trails.
Savanah Watson — Google review
I came up for a 3 day weekend starting Friday. The drive was good, beautiful scenery, and the campsite was super clean.
Within an hour of being there, a mama bear and her two cubs wandering into the camp. I gave them all the space and left for a while. Two hours later she returned. This mama bear is not afraid of people and looking for food. I would not suggest visiting this camp site for a while to give the bears some space. I actually left but plan to come back in the future. It has a lot of trails and it's nice a quiet.
Jennifer Quantock — Google review
Awesome place to take the family out to do some exploring for the afternoon. The area is rich in mining history there's a cool museum to wander through in town. Nice place just to hang out for the afternoon and picnic and wander town..
Discover Far Off Places — Google review
From absolutely beautiful dirt walking trails traversing the old hydralic mine remnants of a yesteryear;6 to the good times of "Humbug Days" and the annual town celebration this little mountain gem still holds some recreational "gold" in its park preserved splendor. Check out the old drain tunnel for a really cool adventure and be on the look out for Humbug Days with the firing of a real cannon, crafting, BBQ and local vendors. It's a hoot!
The historic museum is small but well worth a visit, the gold records are hard to fathom... Still a lot left in them hills!
Maxx Hudec — Google review
Campground is well maintained with flush toilets and sinks in the bathrooms. Lots of shade. Bears are active so everything with a smell has to go into the bear box provided day and night. Mosquitoes started at 6:15 and were around until after dark. We were glad we had head nets. Off worked.
Doreen O'Donovan — Google review
Hydrolic mining took a mountain down! Take the time to visit. Historic town. Easy hiking.
Steve Lambert — Google review
Take a weekend to get to know the history of the town of Humbug and the historical significance of the Malakoff Diggins. We're going to be making this wonderful place a regular stop on our road adventures.
Erik Vogel — Google review
The history here is pretty amazing! It really shows you the distraction that mining had on the landscape. It’s really fun to go see the old town of humbug. The museum was fun to walk through. The trail that takes you down to the Diggins is really well-maintained I’m pretty sure you could even take someone in a wheelchair. The park has a lot of charm and it was worth the drive.
bartellj — Google review
Nice campground. Sites are spacious with table and fire pit.
Restrooms were clean with toilet, sink, mirror and soap dispenser.
Nice hikes out of the campground and good views from the overlook at the far end of the campground.
During the week the place was nearly empty, so very peaceful and quiet.
Closest store is about 20 minutes away, so come prepared.
Kevin G — Google review
This place is so cool! I think my favorite part was checking out the tunnel! It was a pretty warm day and just going next to the tunnel, the temp dropped about 10 degrees so it was a nice place to get cool and check out an amazing part of this town's history 😊 All other trails were fun and very interesting as well!
Kirah Wilks — Google review
This is a former hydraulic water mining operation. It has not been in use for decades but is now run by the California State Parks. The mine was founded in 1851 when the mine and village was known as Humbug, later to become North Bloomfield in 1859.
Hydraulic water mining became popular when Placerining was beginning to fade. This hydraulic water mining was easier but the process of shooting powerful jets at the land to break it down to find gold was devastating environmentally, causing dirt and rocks to be washed downstream or dumped on the land below the mine. Trees and plants and farmlands were destroyed. Large mounds of this runoff covers the land and these areas are known as the digging.
The Malakoff Diggens are hidden up in the Sierra Nevada foothills. It is an intentional destination.
The best part was the 'ghost town' of a general store, barber shop, drugstore, ice cream parlor, church, schoolhouse, saloon, etc that was abandoned overnight when the mine closed.
There are park rangers but a slim number. However, they were very accommodating.
Plenty of parking is available. Camping is allowed.
Vikingsholm is a famous historical landmark located in Lake Tahoe, which can be visited from Memorial Day through late September. The manse boasts 38 rooms and offers tours to the public. During winter, the castle is closed, but visitors can still enjoy a snowshoe down to the bay for spectacular views. Additionally, there is a public beach area nearby. A hike down to Vikingsholm Tavern and up to the top of the falls provides scenic views worth experiencing before sunset.
We went on a family trip to Lake Tahoe. It was an easy trail even with our 1-year-old. It lead to a lovely view of the bay.
Amanda Colesworthy — Google review
Truly gorgeous and amazing property, history, and story. We very much enjoyed the tour and and viewing of the house and property. How amazing it must have been to live in that gorgeous house with the amazing people who lived there.
Ray Carlone — Google review
A really beautiful place to visit in Tahoe. An amazing piece of historical interest. I would recommend getting to the parking area as early as possible as the spaces are limited. The hike down to Vikingsholm isn't bad, but note that it is a mile long (so it's a two mile round trip) with an elevation change of about 1000 feet. I highly recommend visiting this site.
Michael Flagg — Google review
My family and I loved doing some hiking down in Emerald Bay to visit the mysterious Castle in the woods. There’s a very small parking lot and the do charge. I think it was around $10 for parking. There’s a large path it zigzags down the mountain to go visit the castle. It is mostly gravel and dirt, you may slip if you’re walking too fast. Make sure to use the bathroom before hand because although they have an outhouse at the bottom of the hill. It may have been the worst smelling outhouse I have ever smelled in my life. Don’t forget that Lake Tahoe is basically a lake of melted ice, so that was the coldest water I have ever swam in, but after about 15 minutes, I finally decided to get in and it was quite invigorating. We all had a great time as a family and enjoy the beach and the sun. They also have guided tours available of the castle now which I can’t wait to do on our next trip.
Finding The Force — Google review
I must return to see the INSIDE of that super cool mansion! The outside of it is very cool. The inside is even MORE SO. I definitely recommend going to see it!
It's a long hike down & back up to do so. However, it's SO worth it!
John Swanson — Google review
Honestly, this historical structure looks more attractive in the pictures than in person. I did not take the inside tour but there were some repairs going on for the exterior walls. It was possibly operational.
Main attraction around the area is the Emerald Bay beach and the wonderful views during the hike. This place has a steep hike of around a mile downward. I loved the huge trees and unique looking tree barks around Vikingsholm.
Aishwarya Kher — Google review
A beautiful but VERY steep hike to view Vikingsholm. Unfortunately the building was closed when we visited, but it was still impressive to wander around the area and take another short hike to the waterfalls nearby. Parking costs $10 in the lot, and there seems to always be a bit of a wait.
Shelby Costa — Google review
Lovely Scandinavian inspired home in Emerald Bay. Get there early as parking fills up fast. You will need to hike almost a mile to access the home. Ticket booth opened at 10 am and first tour is 10:30 am. Enjoyed learning the history from the very knowledgeable guide! Tickets are $18 per adult but it goes to help with maintenance and restoration projects for Vikingsholm.
Melissa Nazal — Google review
We parked and took the 1 mile trail down. It’s a steep trail, going down was fine but going back up took us twice as long. Bring water, there is no water once you make it down. At the castle is a private beach, lots of paths to hike and walk, a gift shop, and waterfalls! Absolutely beautiful here. The restrooms were clean but non flushing toilets.
Stephanie Staicer — Google review
Cool trail that leads you to the house/museum. Museum was closed when we were there (maybe because it was winter?). There are some beautiful lookout spots where you get a good view of Emerald Bay. Parking fills up fast.
Grace Windheim — Google review
Beautiful walk down to the Vikingsholm Tavern and then up to the top of the falls. Totally work it before the sunset. Peaceful walk where the temp dropped the further you went down.
PB Russell (Berns Buds) — Google review
So we didn't go on the tour so I can't give an honest rating so I'll go with a 3. The house is beautiful though. We hiked in from DL Bliss and the water fountain on the side of the house was a great place to stop.off out water bottles for the hike back to Bliss. The location is amazing though so I can see why someone would want that there. Some folks told us the hike down from the parking lot was pretty rough...I imagine they changed their minds having to go back up lol.
Scott — Google review
Great visit Sunday, June 12th, 2022, in a pouring, wind whipped rain. Only about half full parking lot. Tours of inside every hour only $15 (summer only?). We skipped the tour, but loved the hike outside to the dock and the amazing lower eagle falls. Least busy during bad weather. Bring umbrella and visit during heavy 🌧️.
Brian Wise (booksinabox) — Google review
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Vikingholm is an old castle that was built in the late 1860's. It was a vacation home built on the shores of Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe. This is accessed by foot or by boat. This place is gorgeous! Call ahead to see when they have tours. I don't know the pricing since we were on our boat and just cruised by.
JeAnn D — Google review
One of the main attractions of Emerald Bay State Park is the stunning Scandinavian architecture called Vikingsholm. It is a 38 room mansion on the shore of Lake Tahoe. The 1.7-mile trail to reach Vikingsholm offers breathtaking views. It's important to note that the mansion closes at 4.30pm—we missed it since we arrived after 5pm. The architectural marvel of Vikingsholm adds a unique charm to the park. Next time, I'll plan better to tour the interior, but the natural beauty and the trail alone made it a memorable experience. Don't miss this gem if you're a fan of nature and architecture!
Tasnim Ara Islam — Google review
During my visit to Vikingsholm in Lake Tahoe with my daughter, we had an amazing time exploring the area. The weather was cloudy, but it added a nice and crisp atmosphere to our hike. We started by hanging out on the beach, enjoying the serene surroundings and the sound of the waves. The hike to the waterfall was truly breathtaking, with the cascading water creating a mesmerizing sight.
As we made our way back, we took a wrong turn and got a bit lost. However, we didn't mind at all because we were engrossed in a wonderful conversation, appreciating the beauty of nature around us. Luckily, we quickly found our way back on track.
One thing I noticed about the trail is that it is wide and easily accessible, making it suitable for elderly people and those with disabilities. This inclusivity is commendable and allows everyone to enjoy the beauty of Vikingsholm. Additionally, having a bathroom at the bottom of the trail was quite convenient.
Overall, our experience at Vikingsholm was unforgettable. From the beach to the waterfall and the enjoyable hike, it provided us with a perfect opportunity to bond and appreciate the wonders of nature together.
Russell Belicek — Google review
This is a great way to start your day in the Tahoe area. I recommend getting to the parking lot before 8:30AM, otherwise you might not get a parking spot. The hike is a little more advanced than we thought, but it is a wide trail and well maintained. A lot of history, beautiful places to take pictures, and relax on the beach while kids play in the water. My only complaint is that individuals feel the need to mark their territory by craving their name/initials on trees. Please leave no trace.
Mike Edwards — Google review
A great place to view and enjoy the emerald bay of Lake tahoe.
However beware that it's not car accessible unlike what google maps suggest. It's a steep 1 mile hike on a paved road. Parking may be very limited in weekends
omar eddash — Google review
This place is all about history and architecture wonder it has a very delightful story to hear and a lot of places to take memorial pictures with family and friends
Omar Elminshawy — Google review
If you would like to visit Lake Tahoe by doing a hike this is the place. Is a one mile downhill with a 1,000 ft elevation. A reminder that one mile downhill you will have to hike up with a 1,000 ft elevation. Once you arrive at the base you can sit at the beach or on one of the many benches they have. The hours to tour the house are between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. They also have a gift shop if you are interested in buying memorabilia. The gift shop sells water and a small selection of snacks.
Inspiration Point (Emerald Bay) is a state park that offers spectacular views of a Scandinavian castle and a lake. Visitors can find information boards and restrooms to make their visit more comfortable. The place tends to get crowded, making it hard to find parking space, as many people come here to enjoy the stunning views. However, some visitors may feel disappointed by the number of trees blocking their view of the bay.
The day that I went the gates were closed but you could park across the street but I didn’t stay for very long. It started to snow which was cool. Lots of people were there but everyone was very happy and friendly. I’m sure that is a spot that is full of people on a normal day as people were driving by and looking to see if it was open the while time I was there. This is a spot that lives up to its name.
Jose Ortega — Google review
According to some, this is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Inspiration Point is beautiful and provides ample opportunity to see the Emerald Bay of Lake Tahoe. If you proceed a little further down the road, past the Bay, you can get to the beach, and an historical area that allows a better view of the emerald water. The drive from South Tahoe to the Bay can be nerve-wracking because of narrow, twisty roads with steep drop-offs on either side. But it's well worth the trip!
Mary O'Malley — Google review
Step into a world of wonder and immerse yourself in the breathtaking allure of Inspiration Point, nestled like a precious jewel within the verdant landscapes of Emerald Bay. Our recent sojourn to this hidden sanctuary left us utterly mesmerized, and we cannot resist sharing the extraordinary tale of our exploration.
As we set foot upon the hallowed grounds of Inspiration Point, we were immediately transported to a realm of sublime beauty. A panoramic vista unfolded before our eyes, unveiling the splendor of Emerald Bay in all its resplendent glory. The azure waters, dancing with ethereal light, appeared like a celestial masterpiece, harmoniously blending with the verdant embrace of the surrounding cliffs and foliage.
Indeed, the very name "Inspiration Point" resonates deeply with the essence of this enchanted place. It ignites a flame within our souls, urging us to embrace the majesty of nature and discover our own innate creativity. Artists and poets would find themselves spellbound, captivated by the kaleidoscope of colors and textures that compose this poetic tableau.
In conclusion, Inspiration Point in Emerald Bay is an extraordinary haven that beckons to explorers, dreamers, and lovers of natural wonders. It is a sanctuary where one can unburden their weary spirit and find solace in the embrace of Mother Nature herself. We wholeheartedly recommend embarking on this mystical journey to witness the unrivaled magnificence that awaits at Inspiration Point. Prepare to lose yourself in its captivating allure, for it will undoubtedly leave an enduring imprint upon your very essence.
Ashwini Suryavanshi — Google review
There is absolutely no way to explain how incredibly gorgeous this place is! The photos do this place no justice at all. There is limited parking, questionable public restrooms, tons of summer travelers, and views to take your breath away! We drove in from Rancho Cordova, stayed about an hour and drove back. It was a very very long day. I would do it again in a heartbeat... actually I'd get a room, cabin, hotel, or campsite and stay awhile. It's probably the most beautiful place I have ever seen, (granted I'm broke and haven't seen a whole lot, but I recognize awe inspiring beauty in our world when I see it). Lake Tahoe is calling. Answer her.
Gina Settle — Google review
The panoramic scenery of Emerald Bay and Lake Tahoe from this vantage point is truly spectacular, making it a must-visit for nature lovers and photographers alike. The area is well-maintained, with accessible viewing platforms that ensure everyone gets a chance to soak in the natural beauty. Whether it's the serene waters of the bay or the lush greenery surrounding it, Inspiration Point provides an unparalleled experience that embodies the essence of tranquility and beauty.
Nathan Renard — Google review
Beautiful views and nice hike to the Nordic castle. There another short hike to Eagle falls. Best to get there early as there isn't a lot of parking.
Scott Weed — Google review
Breathtaking views!! Great location to see out over Lake Tahoe; we packed a picnic and enjoyed the views while eating lunch. Wheelchair friendly to go up and see the views. There is a fee to park here and look out, well worth it.
Bernadette Sue — Google review
It's a good viewpoint to see the Emerspd bay.
But if you want to take a whole picture of the Emerald Bay, The Emerald Bay state park would be a better choice!
samuel shih — Google review
Viewpoint overcrowded! Very hard to find a parking spot. I have to agree with my husband, the view is not the best of Tahoe, even if it's one of the most popular. There are too many trees that are blocking the view of the bay.
Adeline CHAUTARD — Google review
Easy to drive to without the hike of actually seeing emerald bay up close. I did that too and it was amazing btw. But this is a nice little stop on the side of the road above the bay with great access and an amazing view. A good picture spot for sure.
Scott — Google review
Well worth the drive from South Lake Tahoe even if u r heading the other way around. Lots of snow in area but we managed to get through it. Boots better than sneakers but after it melts think mud for a while. Views were outstanding (bathrooms) and signage interesting
Alexandra Mathiasen — Google review
I felt like this point is overrated. Parking is very limited and chargeable, I believe it's $10. On top of that, the restrooms are horrible.
We parked on the opposite street for free and walked in. The view isn't better than what you see from Emerald Bay lookout point. Trees cover your view here. So if you are going to Emerald Bay, then this can easily be avoided.
On a weekday afternoon the parking was full.
The plus point is the shade under which you can spend time while viewing Emerald Bay.
Aishwarya Kher — Google review
An Absolute breath taking view! Emerald Bay and the Tahoe Mountains look Spectacular from this point of view. There is parking, but on a busy holiday be prepared to wait a few minutes. There are decent restrooms and plenty of seating. Bring the family and take plenty of pictures. Thank GOD for places like this!! Cheers
Ernie Carrillo — Google review
Our first stop while visiting Lake Tahoe was Inspiration Point. Inspiration Point is a vista point and a day-use area only, located at 6815 ft above sea level. There is a two-tier viewing deck at the vistapoint. From the deck, you can see the beautiful lake, Fannette Island, and the Eagle Falls from afar.
There is a parking lot and a public restroom. The lot gets full quickly during peak times (mostly summer). At that time, you need to find roadside parking. But make sure that you did not park at the "No parking" zone. The path from parking lot to the observation deck is paved and wheelchair accessible. We have visited Lake Tahoe twice, and each time we stopped at this point to enjoy the heavenly view. Best spot to take photographs.
Tasnim Ara Islam — Google review
Great place to stop by for views. There is a good amount of parking but there is a fee of $5 for 30 minutes. Its cash only to pay for parking. Definitely worth stopping and walking through to check out.
There are bathrooms here to use if you need to stop.
Nick Villanti — Google review
The scenery is breathtaking and beautiful. A must-see. The drive for me was somewhat scary, up a mountain, and most of the road has no guard rails, which is very narrow with 90-degree switchbacks. I'm so incredibly curious on how some of the larger work trucks even made it around the corners in some spots.
Janet Sullivan — Google review
Beautiful spot to pull over and view Emerald Bay. It's free parking and there are restrooms. Also, you can take the hike to Crystal Falls. It's about 2 miles round trip but it's steep and you are walking over rocks and on rock steps.
Lucy — Google review
It's definitely one of the wow stops in Lake tahoe with a great view of the emerald Bay area. Very clean, well maintained, and a few seating places available in the place, suitable for a short picnic or quick view stop. Challenging parking, yet worth the effort 👌 highly recommended
The Taylor Creek Visitor Center situated in South Lake Tahoe remains closed during this season, but visitors can still enjoy the available paths with nature surrounding them. The upgraded path features additional wooden boardwalks and is no longer submerged in water. The Forest Service did an excellent job with the addition, making it a family-friendly trail that allows dogs on a leash. With great trails leading to the beaches and Taylor Creek, visitors can park for free at the large parking lot provided.
It’s still cold in South Lake Tahoe, and the visitor center is still closed for the season. But, the paths are available to stroll. Since it is still technically closed, nature is everywhere; meaning trees and branches are down in spots on the path. They upgraded the path, in the last couple years; added additional wooden boardwalk on the path. In the past the path would be underwater in spots. Not the case, anymore. Forest Service did a great job with the addition. I adore this place. A must see during all four seasons to watch nature do it’s thing.
Shane Cotta — Google review
I have walked the rainbow trail for 40 years now. I took my kids when they were little, and it's always a great place to take company. They have made many changes over the years.
The stream profile was always the highlight. I was disappointed to see it closed and becoming dilapidated. Hopefully, that will be a priority for the forest service in the next few years.
Erica Bunce — Google review
Did the Rainbow loop. Very easy and crowded. It only took long because of the many stops to explore. Lots of salmon. We paid for Lake Tahoe parking for the day at one of the kiosk and kept the ticket in the front window. Recommend for an easy hike and handicap accessible.
Johannah M (Jojobean) — Google review
Starting 6/18/21, they only open Fri-Sun 10-4pm. Plenty of parking, portable potty for now. You can walk from Visitor Center to Rainbow Trail or Taylor Creek (nice beach). It's a short walk.
Hiep Huynh — Google review
Love love love the new areas of board walk that was built. Last year when we visited the beavers had made a dam that flooded the beginning of the trail. They did a wonderful job making a pathway over the area. It was beautiful.....though it's still a real shame that someone broke the glass to the steam profile chamber.
Mistie Clark — Google review
This is a great place to take anyone to experience Tahoe. The Salmon run is closed right now (June 2023), but still a great nature area and a dog friendly beach. We were there for Wild Tahoe Weekend since we are birds watchers, and had a great little day.
Danny Malone — Google review
Taylor creek trail is not only a really nice trail to walk, but its educational, and beautiful. Icing on the cake is leashed dogs are allowed on the trail. There is plenty of aquatic wildlife to see along the boardwalk style trails overlooking the water & wetland, as well as birds. We even saw a small brown bear. The bear had zero interest in us or our dogs, and was more interested in getting away from people. There are lots of signs along the trail with info about the wildlife, history and ecosystem. The aquarium was closed, and appeared to be closed for a long time given it was not maintained. Hopefully it will re-open at some point. This is a great trail for families with children and photographers.
Aura Nissa — Google review
We went to Taylor Creek in October to watch the Kokanee Salmon return to Taylor Creek. Beautiful and awesome wonders of Mother Nature. The trail was easy and accessible to practically everyone.
Ray T — Google review
What a beautiful place! Great trails, family friendly, and allows a dog on leash! We absolutely loved our time there. There is also a large free parking lot, which leads to Taylor Creek, or trails that go to the beaches.
Amy Nutcher — Google review
Awesome place but it was close due to bad weather. I recommend to check Cal Fore website before visiting. There is enough parking and toilet at location. This is place to Rainbow Trail but not access the beach. You have better option to access beach
Sakhi Shah — Google review
Short trail with nice views. Good for adults and kids of all ages. There is even a beaver dam along the trail.
diane witter — Google review
Beautiful area. We walked the trails and went down to the creek to see if the Black bears were feeding on the salmon. They weren't there when we were but I hear they are around.
Cynthia Mortensen — Google review
Finally had the chance to check out Taylor Creek. Absolutely breath taking. Didn't stay long as it was getting cold quick,but plan on returning and hoping to see the bears eating fish.
Lisa Hawkins — Google review
Friendly visitor center and very helpful. Has a neat trail with beaver dams and small wildlife. A beach is also walking distance if you want to get out by the water. Good stop.
John Hoff — Google review
This is a lovely area for an easy walk. The viewing chamber was closed due to repairs needed because of vandalism, but the rest of the trail was nice. They've added a wooden walking bridge since I was there last, I think for conservation and because of unstable swampy ground. I enjoyed it very much.
Lorie Witt — Google review
Very beautiful view. The salmon are flashing by, and the scenery is just so peaceful. No food or water on the trail! Some of the grasslands are actually marshes! Overall, this would be a really nice place to hang out for a picnic, if it wasn't for the food rule.
Angel Cheng — Google review
One of my favorite places to visit in South Lake. Easy walking trail with lots to see.
Stephanie Foster — Google review
We went to Taylor Creek to see the salmon spawning & hopefully to see a bear. No bears when we were there..
Joann Maxwell — Google review
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Visitor Center Road, CA-89, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150, USA
Tallac Historic Site is a seasonal attraction that showcases two historic homes and offers tours, exhibits, events, and costumed interpreters. The site is also known for its beautiful beach with ample space for dogs. While the beach itself is clean, visitors are advised to wear sandals due to the presence of wood in the sand.
We had a great experience here. Nice beach, lots of great space for dogs. The beach itself is clean, but be sure to wear some sort of sandal - lots of wood in the sand.
James Andrew Adams — Google review
This place is truly a hidden gem in South Lake Tahoe. The grounds are beautifully kept and house three estates with some really interesting history. I have been going to Tahoe my whole life and had never visited here before. I'm so glad we did. The only downside is that there is pretty limited parking, but otherwise you will not be disappointed.
Katie Swenson — Google review
Such a beautiful place! It was closed when we went but we were able to still walk around the buildings and the beaches. Can't imagine how beautiful it is when open and events are going on. Can see this being a great place for a wedding or engagement or graduation photos!
Andrew Coward — Google review
Beautiful place lots of history but not enough history behind the natives of the are they just mention them.
Jose Sin — Google review
The Tallac Historic Site is an amazing place to visit in SouthWest Lake Tahoe. The area is part of the national forest and is on federal land so it is free to access. The historic buildings are beautiful and located just feet away from Lake Tahoe. It is an enjoyable area to walk around with plenty of trails and public beaches to access. Great place to spend a few hours or half a day at.
Brendan Kiely — Google review
We stopped here during our day trip to Lake Tahoe and I’m really glad we did! It appears closed on google maps but you can still walk down and access the site. The walk down from the street is only 7 or so minutes, it took a little longer because of snow. For that reason I’d recommend boots. The historic buildings are in excellent condition and very beautiful. You can also walk down to the lake shore and walk on the beach and take in the beautiful view. There are plenty of placards to read about the family that owned the estate. This is a good little trip for all ages!
Dana Szabo — Google review
Beautiful Kiva Beach ⛱️. Brought the family here for the first time. Amazing scenery of the lake. Will be bringing the fam bam back along with our dog Max
Joshua Ramos — Google review
Nice historic place with a museum of a few estates.
Beautiful all year round, but the museum is closed during the winter time.
It's free to enter, but guided tours require purchase of tickets.
Filip Zakrzewski — Google review
The place is nice to visit with east trails to follow, picnic tables easily accessible to the water, many lil beach areas that can be perfect for small groups, plenty of shade!
Ernest Lopez — Google review
Wow!! Even though we came and hiked here thou the grounds were unofficial closed, this place is True California Gold!! I marveled at the location and grounds. The cabins were Amazing to take in an ponder how beautiful this must have been in the early 1920's.
I recommend coming when the grounds are open and volunteers are present to give you a grander scope of this family's lifestyle and vision.
Don't miss out. Take a journey through lavish history. Cheers and GOD Bless!!
Ernie Carrillo — Google review
What a cool place to visit. The historic houses are so cool. It’s amazing what they would build over 100 years ago in a remote place. The grounds are clean and well taken care of. They do close all the museums at 4 so get there earlier to see the interior of the houses.
Michael Bullock — Google review
It's a wonderful site and estate. I am glad to see the contributions to conserve the site. It's beautifully maintained and sees more improvements to make it attractive for tourists. We met Ms. Anita, she was kind enough to explain all old fashioned toys which came from different countries. Thanks 🙏 to her for listening to little ones and engaging them.
We saw two bears 🐻 on that day, they were roaming around. Oh, we saw beautiful and naughty squirrels 🐿️, climbing on Ms. Anita's shoulder looks like asking her to offer a treat.
Pradeep Gupta — Google review
Trails are great and many shaded spots. Gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because the water clarity is not as beautiful as other places in Tahoe.
emily rosshirt — Google review
Spent a few hours wandering around this historic site, learning about the developers of the area in bringing tourism to South Lake Tahoe, to the women who played a large role. Visited the museum within the "Lucky" Baldwin home, and the Pope home. There is a mostly shaded path between the back of the homes. The third home, Valhalla, was off limits due to a private event.
I especially loved how "Lucky's" daughter eventually razed the entire hotel to help protect the lake. Highly recommend. There were people who came just to sit in their lawn chairs along the shore as well.
The Pope home had specific hours for tours, so we were unable to enter the home.
Sue Martindale — Google review
Great spot to see some historic buildings and homes as well as get close up to the lake. Well maintained and enjoyable spot
Ina Nichols — Google review
A great place to spend some time wandering around. You can see historic cabins and homes. Peek through the windows to see the decorated insides. They also offer tours.
M BoB — Google review
A favorite place of mine! It allows beautiful views of Lake Tahoe while being able to take a look into how some lived over 100 years ago! Beautiful!
The beach Pope Beach is a quaint and secluded spot perfect for swimming, boating, cycling and picnics. This beach has dunes and pine trees that lend themselves to a peaceful environment, making it the perfect spot for a day of relaxation. There are also some lovely trails around for jogging and bicycling, making it an ideal spot for athletes of all levels. In addition to this, there are snack shacks with food options that include BBQs.
Lake Tahoe in summer, sunny days and snow still on the mountains. Pope Beach has public parking and is a popular family venue. We cycled to it so there was no charge. Cars are charged around ten dollars for entry. Clean toilets and picnic tables.
Miles of soft sand, clear but cold water, stunning views and the famous blue of Lake Tahoe. And families at play. And not at all crowded.
Being older and wiser, we chose not to swim. A few rugged young people did go in. We just spent easy hours enjoying the view and the cool breezes off the lake.
There are quite a few Canada geese, unafraid and looking cute and wanting to be fed. The bird life is interesting. A bald eagle cruising above us made my day.
Gerald Thorning — Google review
Awesome place to go with family! It can get cold when it's windy but great place to bring kids or relax with your S.O. They also have a place to rent kayaks, picnic, play volleyball and you can paddle board. It also was $10 to get into the parking but it was right by the water and completely worth it! Sadly no dogs allowed other wise it would be 5 stars
Clementine Anderson — Google review
With numerous beaches in the vicinity, choosing where to spend last Friday afternoon was a delightful dilemma. Opting for this spot proved rewarding, offering the choice of lounging beneath the shade of numerous pine trees lining the beach, with scattered picnic benches, or laying a mat on the soft, smooth sand under the gentle warmth of the sun (ideal for the somewhat unpredictable weather that day). Despite the sunshine, it remained surprisingly cold. We savored the moment, relaxing amidst the scenery, observing geese casually strolling along the sand, sometimes approaching beachgoers but mostly going about their business. Some beachgoers even set up tents and brought an array of drinks and food – quite enviable!
The sight of the clear blue-green water against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains was enchanting. Taking a swim in the lake, I noted the invigoratingly cool water temperature (truly cold). Kayak rentals adorned the beach, and the water was dotted with various vessels – kayaks, motorboats, and sailboats in the distance.
For those driving to the beach, there's a parking lot available with a $10 entrance fee. Once paid, you'll find ample parking right by the beach. If you opt not to pay, street parking is an alternative, but be prepared for a lengthy walk from the main road to the beach. I highly recommend the paid parking, especially if you have a considerable number of items to carry.
This review comes a bit late, reflecting on a visit to Lake Tahoe last summer. Despite the season, the weather remained remarkably chilly, and the water was refreshingly cold. The journey from the Bay Area was well worth it.
Nixon Caparas — Google review
A $10 charge per car when it's freaking freezing out is a bit nuts but I guess there's no flexibility with a government concessionaire. But the place was tidy, well kept, with absolutely perfect views of the lake and mountains. 20-30 degrees warmer and this place can't be beat.
Kevin Peterson — Google review
What can I say about Pope Beach...It's absolutely beautiful. The pictures say it all... Pristine sand and crystal clear water combined with incredible views in every direction... Next time you're in South Lake Tahoe be sure to stop by and take it all in...
John Bronner — Google review
This is the cleanest most beautiful golden beach I ever went to. The backdrop is simply amazing!
Entry fees is $10 for entire day, until 7 pm I believe, and includes Baldwin Beach and Meeks Bay. It's worth it to spend a day here just chilling, swimming, and doing water sports like kayaking. Charges are less than some other kayaking companies in Tahoe.
Sufficient parking on a weekday when we visited. Ducks are super friendly. Public toilets were cleaner than I expected.
Totally recommended!
Aishwarya Kher — Google review
It's lovely. So far the cleanest water and 8t was so pleasant.
I loved the beach and sea, it was nice and clean at the beach.
There is paid parking to get to the beach and it's 5 mins walk from the parking lot to the beach.
Next time I'll explore other beaches around.
U can also do different water activities here on your own.
komal singh — Google review
Even getting here at 9:30am there was a line of cars to get in. Once there, though, we had a blast renting a kayak, picnicking, and spending the day on the beach. The shade from the pines was a plus so we didn't have to pack an umbrella, and there are plenty of restrooms all the way down the beach.
Rosanna Stephens — Google review
First time in life Tahoe and first time at Pope Beach. People were friendly, kind, took care of their own stuff and kept the beach clean. The water is amazingly clear and cool. The way the glacier silt has settled you can walk almost 100 yards straight out and only be just deep in water. Parking was easy. And there are clean restrooms just a few yards away from the beach. Pricing was just $10 a carload because it’s a state park. No dogs or trailers. Kayak and SUP rentals available. We would come back here again and again
wendy meuret — Google review
Beautiful area ❤️ Loved the camping side, beach side, mountains and so much greens on the side, just beautiful. Also, you can rent kayaks
Oksana Bugriyev-Gorodetskaya — Google review
This is a fairly nice Beach that has restrooms and picnic tables. I highly recommend going during the week or on Friday early morning. There is a lot of Beach to explore and it didn't really start getting ugly busy until about 2:00 in the afternoon which was right about the time I was leaving so it was perfect. Parking is $10 cash and you are allowed propane grills
Levi Hoople — Google review
One of the beaches of Lake Tahoe suitable for camping and swimming. If you really want to enjoy the beauty here, go with time,go with leisure, spend more than couple of hours,
One more positive point for pope beach is being very near by to the centre area of Lake Tahoe.
Pay $10 entry fee here-preserve the ticket as is valid for other famous beach as well but to be visited on the same day.
Devang Trivedi — Google review
It’s actually really nice to find a beach just beside a campground. This beach is near camp Richardson. I only visited in the evenings. It’s not much crowded from the late afternoon. If you are bringing your vehicle, you will need to take a pass for $10. There are benches available and people were kayaking even.
Annushree Kumari — Google review
Great and popular place for picnic and kayaking. Weekends it's very crowded and so go early or be prepared for parking problems. There are enough bathrooms but half of them were out of order.
Vijay Bhaskar Jonnalagadda — Google review
We visited on a Saturday evening around 5 PM. Found it very crowded, a little dirty beach. Could be different during non rush days. Pier has good views. Can try a couple of water activities around and swimming as well
Vidisha Vijay — Google review
Great atmosphere, water is so clean. Talking about cleanliness, some folks work hard to clean the beach. Incredible scenery.
Palisades Tahoe is an expansive ski resort in Lake Tahoe, known for its world-class facilities and diverse range of recreational activities. It was also the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. The resort offers a wide variety of amenities including a spa, multiple restaurants, and more. As one of six premier ski resorts in the area, Palisades Tahoe boasts some of the most luxurious lodging options such as five-star accommodations at North Star. Additionally, Mt.
I stayed at this amazing resort for a week for my skiing trip with my cousins and my aunt and uncle. It was awesome. There was so much to do and the area was beautiful. Actually I have an awesome story. So when we were there, the snow covered everything and the outdoor hot tubs all had a barrier of snow. Me, my little cousin, and some other people were in the hot tub right next to another one. And basically the other hot tub engaged in war with us, and another hot tub nearby. It got pretty heated, I even made alliances with the other hot tub that was also being attacked by the one next to us. Soon we destroyed the hot tub that started it and they fled into the pool. Honestly this was an amazing experience I hope I can go again this year! We spent Christmas here as well
- ??YogiFromFresno?? - — Google review
Overall, we enjoyed our experience. The views are amazing and there was a decent amount and variety of terrain. We went on a day where temps got up into the mid 50s and the snow was definitely slushy and sticky in spots. Multiple lifts were also closed, further limiting options. On the plus side, there were very few crowds on a weekday, so lift wait times were great. Overall, I would come back, but never at full price, as I feel like the value proposition is not there, especially during the spring and with less slopes open.
David Riggleman — Google review
Definitely a great place to go if you love the outdoors. Away from hustle of Tahoe City and the lake. It's a nice relaxing area and there is the history of it as well as the 1960 winter Olympics were held there
Ryan Hartwig — Google review
This is a glorious place to spend a day skiing. It consistently rates as the best resort in Northern California. As a bonus you can also ski Alpine which is also a top resort and arguably more enjoyable given its smaller crowds and local feel. Both resorts are stunningly beautiful with an abundance of terrain to explore. Tips up!
Jim Leabeater — Google review
My Wife and I stayed here and we were definitely impressed. The resort is first class, we rented the fireplace Suite which was perfect. As soon as you pull up the valet guys are right there to greet you. We walked in the front doors to a beautiful lobby complete with a fireplace and plenty of lounge areas. The restaurants were nice, food and drinks were great.
They have a ski lift there. We did not experience that as we took lessons in the Village. The pools are all heated and There are multiple hot tubs around them to relax in. Outside there are fireplaces, a waterfall, and plenty of places to just sit and relax. If you get the chance to visit, We highly recommend!
Don Allen — Google review
Tuesday Blues day always a fun time. They bring in really good bands, always yummy food, great atmosphere, free! Fun for all ages.
Kim Smith — Google review
Palisades Tahoe marketed their slopes as being open. But only about 10% of the runs were open. Yet, they're still charging $200/day for a lift ticket. I definitely didn't get my money's worth, despite driving for God knows how many hours to get here. All of the people working here were great. Just their businesses practices are less than stellar.
Tristan Heberlein — Google review
I had a good time, and was quite impressed at the lack of lines/speed of lifts. Even on a Saturday, with the parking lot full, I barely experienced any waits on the alpine lifts.
The intermediate terrain felt quite limited though. I basically just did the same run through the central valley of the mountain over and over again, which wasn’t terribly fun with all the beginner traffic.
The terrain was a 2-3 star at best, the 4 star rating is because of the amazing logistics. Gondola and lots of fast lifts made for positive overall experience. I wouldn’t specifically make a trip to this place, but if I was in the region I’d definitely come back.
Afzal Hasan — Google review
We went to visit my brother in Truckee and were able to spend three days skiing. The resort is well maintained, beyond beautiful scenery, great restaurants, shops, and the skiing is phenomenal. The only drawback is the layout. For beginners, the resort is laid out somewhat poorly. The greens are typically closer to the bottom whereas here they are quite a ways up and hard to navigate which can quickly become problematic. Loved all the options though from the runs to the shopping, etc. Will definitely be back!
Elizabeth Bruch- Your STL Realtor (Liz) — Google review
Big, big, ski resort. It has an incredible variety of ski trails, wonderful views of the mountains and a very helpful friendly staff. It is also very expensive! You pay for everything. Some of the season passes offer a good value if you have the schedule to take advantageous of them. The gondola rides are enjoyable for even the non skiers.
Ralph Hibbs — Google review
Great terrain, great snow, and the resort is often open and accessible when others are not. The resort staff is friendly and their efforts to keep things going in all conditions is very visible and makes a considerable difference to the great benefit of all guests. The lift lines move quickly and there is plenty of parking that’s orderly and organized which translates into more time on the slopes. With such a great spot a person would normally keep quiet and keep it to themselves but I think the word is already out. This is where you wanna be, especially if you want more challenging and fun terrain with consistent deep powder days.
Wil Emling — Google review
Beautiful and vast.
Easy access to several different peaks including Alpine Meadow via the base to base gondola.
View from up top are unforgettable.
Icon pass options make it easy and somewhat affordable if you’re going for more than a day or two.
There was a ton of snow when we were there and the ops team did an amazing job getting the lifts/slopes open and running.
Jeff Knowles — Google review
A true American Treasure. The rooms are very nice, super cozy. With several superb dining options with amazing views and options. If you just want to relax with a coffee and pastry, there are a couple of great spots as well. This is such a great summer stop. Hiking is a must do, and of course, the Tram ride is mandatory! Remember to treat this place with respect and leave NO trash behind!! Dog friendly, too
Will Merritt — Google review
The evening tram reservations with even wine and snacks was phenomenal! That was such a great experience. Absolutely loved the atmosphere and experience. The food was delicious. The team working the restaurant at the top was phenomenal… and the manager was so very impressive. I was able to get the beautiful wine bottle to take home and couldn’t have been more excited about it!!!!! Thai you so much for such a wonderful visit with my family!!!
C W-A (Nurse Christy) — Google review
It was awesome! Saw the GS and Slalom World Cup! Snowboarded two days with lots of good terrain. We will be back!
Drew Logan — Google review
Awesome resort offering a great variety of terrain from beginner to super advanced. The resort now connects to alpine meadow which offers way more option to ride. The other side of the mountain is accessible by the gondola and takes about 15min to connect. There are great views of Lake Tahoe as well
sebastien marcq — Google review
Still my favorite resort in the country...by far. Great staff throughout the resort. All very nice and helpful. The fastest Starbucks ever too!
Trevor Potter — Google review
Palisades, a great mountain to ski! Variety of runs for beginner to expert level, packed into a small footprint. I visited during this past holiday weekend. Lines were extremely long snow was not great. I have been skiing here for years and look forward to returning with better snow
Shawn McNamara — Google review
First time here, highly recommend. Absolutely gorgeous, came during the week so it wasn’t very crowded, snowed on us the whole time so lots of fresh powder, awesome runs and trails. Will return. Friendly staff no matter where we went.
Kimberly H — Google review
Took the giant tram up the mountain to the Gold coast cabin. The 110 person tram is huge and there are beautiful views. Once at top they have free roller skating and a restaurant and drinks. Beautiful meadows abound with tons of wild flowers. There are several hiking trails you can take from there. It is $44 per adult to go up. Season ski pass holders and Icon passholders (for next season) are free. Really worth the trip.
Mark McCraley — Google review
Nice place to ski in Tahoe. Plenty of terrain and plenty of choices depending on your level of skill.
Fredrick Kent — Google review
I have been to palisades around 10 times to ski this season, have yet to be disappointed.
The menu at Mid-Mountain is great, lots of gluten free options!
Audrey Mills — Google review
Palisades is a world class ski resort for a reason. It's definitely not a mountain for beginners learning to ski, but there are a few green runs that would be fine for practice. We frequent Shirley Lake and Granite Chief, which has a great mix of advanced blues and challenging black runs. It can get crowded, so we make sure we're on time for first chair. Alpine Meadows is a hidden gem; less crowded than Palisades with gorgeous, wide open runs all over the mountain. The Base to Base gondola rarely has a line and is really convenient to be able to traverse both mountains. Chamois is a classic for aprés but definitely fills up after last chair, and Wildflour has great cookies for an end of day treat.
Janet Nguyen — Google review
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4.0
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1960 Squaw Valley Road, Olympic Valley, CA 96146, USA
Eagle Rock Trailhead offers easy access and free parking, making it a convenient starting point for a short hike with stunning panoramic views of Lake Tahoe. The trail is less than a mile long, providing hikers with some of the best vistas on the west shore of the lake. With a moderate difficulty level, the 620-foot climb to Eagle Rock is relatively easy and well worth the effort. The trail isn't usually crowded, offering visitors a peaceful experience in nature.
A nice family hike with great views of Lake Tahoe. The volcanic rocks are relatively easy to navigate, but be careful of the dusty tails. It's easy to slip and sprain an ankle if you're not careful.
Myah Olstad — Google review
Nice winter hike if you're up for hiking in the snow. Most others I saw on the trail had snowshoes. With ordinary boots, you sometimes sink into the snow. It's all part of the adventure! The view of the lake and surrounding mountains at the end made it worth the effort.
Danny Epstein — Google review
Quick hike to get to the top. Definitely a gorgeous view but unfortunately due to haziness from surrounding fires it was not ideal. Regardless well worth it and super convenient for where our stay was located.
Art S — Google review
Really solid trail that’s not too difficult, pretty quick, and pays off with some great views. Can be a bit dusty/dry when it hasn’t rained for a while, but not really problematic. Up at the top there is plenty of room to check out multiple view points of the lake. Definitely worth the hike if you are in the area and looking for good lake views.
Daniel Sweeney — Google review
Great trail. Snow has just gone, so fairly easy for the sure footed. Less sure footed people were getting help from their friends/family. Spectacular views from the top as expected.
Please read the trail information board about the indigenous Washoe tribe that used to roam this area - and spare a thought for them.
Didn't give 5 stars because it is inaccessible for some people but the board doesn't say so, so some will be disappointed.
David Hyndman — Google review
The Eagle Rock Trail is a great trail to hike in Northwest Lake Tahoe. The trail is fairly short only about less than a half mile to the top, and offers great views of Lake Tahoe and the West shore. Highly recommend if in the area, and best on a clear day for the best views.
Brendan Kiely — Google review
A must to do when in the area. It just took 10-15 mins to reach the top of Eagle Rock and about 5 mins to climb down.
The view of Lake Tahoe from the top is amazing. Mornings are better due to the sun's direction.
Even while you are approaching the trailhead by car, you'll notice the steep rock on your side. The look is very attractive and makes you wanna go to the top. Trail is slightly steep but very short.
Aishwarya Kher — Google review
Probably the best bang for your efforts. This hike trail is short, moderately easy, and worth every second of it. Just a short 20 walk gets you to the top of Eagle Rock where you will see the lake from a spectacular view not offered that much. The climb is only 620 ft from where you start, a couple of iffy spots, but easy throughout. Another plus was that it wasn’t crowded. We did happen to see a couple of lovebirds making out high up. It seems like the thing for local kids to do. I found that to be pretty wonderful.
Wilson Fujinaga — Google review
Fantastic views abound up on Eagle Rock, in all directions. It's east facing, so the sunrise is a great time to climb up. The hike is very short and easy. It's a little rocky at the top but not bad at all. Totally worth it! Park on the side of the highway at this location.
Christopher Roman — Google review
A short but rewarding hike. Eagle Rock has a wonderful view of Lake Tahoe. There is some snow on it now, which makes it a little slippery so come prepared. In the summer I would imagine that this would be an easy walk to a magnificent view. :) Dogs are welcome just need to be on a leash.
Bree Lehmann — Google review
Stunning walk with vista views over Lake Tahoe. Not too long, although steep at parts and you need to climb over rocks. Worth it for the 360 views!
Adriana Jennings — Google review
Beautiful trail took about 20 minutes to go up with a 7yr old trail is somewhat steep but not that difficult. There were a couple 5 yr olds going up no problem. Top has beautiful view of the lake
bannie meza — Google review
Quick hike to get an AMAZING view. About a 20 min hike and it's a great pay off. I'd totally suggest everyone to come here.
The sunset is truly amazing as well.
Just get down before the set sets.... 😉
Freddie B TV — Google review
4.9
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4.5
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3370 W Lake Blvd, Homewood, CA 96141, USA
25
Kentucky Mine Museum
Museum
Specialty Museums
I remember exploring this mine and these structures as a child in the mid 70s after it was abandoned in the early 50s. The County historical society has done an Excellent job of preserving and maintaining this landmark with access and tours.
I highly recommend taking the tour, it is the only way to access the inside of the mine entrance and stamp mill, and the docent explains the entire process for this type of hard-rock gold mine, and the rich history of this claim. I absolutely love this place, and I'm thrilled that it is still here for my kids to enjoy and appreciate.
Brennan Hill — Google review
The tour is about an hour. Very informative. Wear shoes as some walking is involved. You do not enter the line as there was a cave in a number of years ago. You do walk up stairs. Great for all ages. Check tour times daily in advance online. The tour starts with an historical video. There is a museum/ small gift shop on site.
Heather Hernandez — Google review
This is a really fun afternoon, a must-see if you are in the area (once the museum is open again). Fascinating to get an understanding of the history of mining in the Sierras, also a nice natural setting for the kids to run around.
Nan O — Google review
Good history and tour. Museum is good.
Lurana Cancilla — Google review
The museum had lots of historical artifacts and we loved the tour of the mill. 7 dollars for the tour and 2 to enter museum. A very inexpensive look into gold mining history. If you are near Bassetts stop by this place. I have passed it for years and finally took the time and glad I did!
Michele Armstrong — Google review
If you love 1849 Gold Rush history, ghost towns, and pre Victorian era old west architecture, then you are going to love Sierra City and the Kentucky Mine Museum with its working ore mill. Fascinating exhibits and archive photos, taken back in the town's heyday, will interest those who wonder how men and women from around the world found fortunes, destinies, and hard luck in one of richest areas of the '49er rush. There are several buildings in the archive photos that stand to this day (the General Store, Masonic Lodge, and Old Sierra City Hotel to name a few). The whole town is a time capsule and the Kentucky Mine one of its treasures. Staffed by friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating folks who care about your experience with their excellent presentation. A MUST SEE
Rob Dunning — Google review
Very nice little museum with a decent number of antiques from the local area. There were also many books for purchase.
The tour was also really something special to get to see how the old mine/stamp mill operated.
McKinley Allen — Google review
Really nice museum and an excellent tour guide. It was great to learn so much from someone who knew what he was talking about.
paul zindel — Google review
We went on the guided tour, I highly recommend this! I was in awe of this place!! Mining and milling, two separate processes and both were explained in detail! Got to see the mine and the mill. Really awesome history lesson.
Judy Comish — Google review
Very good mine museum run by a local historical society. Definitely get a tour, otherwise you can get inside the buildings and get a feel for the way the work was done. Most of the equipment on site was brought from other mines in the are to recreate the original setup. They have nice grounds with picnic tables and art affects on display.
Donner Memorial State Park is a vast area that offers various recreational activities such as hiking, camping, fishing, and boating. It also features the Emigrant Trail Museum and a historic monument that tells the story of the Donner Party's challenges. The park staff at the visitor center are helpful in providing information about the place. There are plenty of scenic stops along the lake for morning, afternoon or evening picnics.
I went with my friends for sledding and it didn't disappoint. This park is absolutely beautiful and there's so many activities that you can do! I saw people with their dogs and other people doing snowshoeing and Backcountry ski. I was not able to go to the museum and hike since I was in a group, but will definitely come back for more!
Roxana Morton — Google review
This is such a beautiful place to visit!! The beach is gorgeous with clear lake water and the views is amazing. The water obviously is a bit cold so be aware of that in cause you go swimming. There is a playground, a snack shop, restrooms. You do have to pay an entrance fee. I think it was about $10-12 to get in and for kids and seniors it’s less. But I highly recommend this beautiful place. Lastly is parking is always a bit of a struggle. So keep that in mind. You will need to wait a bit to find a spot.
Joanna Cantarero — Google review
It's beautiful in winter, lots of snow. Though you can get your leg stuck in the snow in as deep as 2 or 3 feet. But I still love this place and highly recommend coming :)
Matthew Sotelo — Google review
We had driven by the park dozens of time on trips from the west coast. We have since moves but had occasion to pass by the park once again and decided to make it a stopping point. We enjoyed the hike to and along Donner Lake. The park staff at the visitors center were helpful and attentive. Understanding the Donner party story better gave us an appreciation for the challenges of the time. This is a beautiful part of the Western United States.
Floyd Rose — Google review
Fun place to visit for a history buff like myself. It's crazy to see a place with such a unbelievable sequence of events. The thing is that you get to set foot in the exact location where the dinner family tried to survive the winter. It is tough to imagine this place being I. The middle of nowhere because you have a major highway and train tracks within ear distance. Having said that, it was well worth the ten bucks.
enrique verduzco — Google review
Enjoyed the few minutes we had before the park closed. With just the snow on the ground, it's still hard to imagine snow 22ft deep and trying to pass through that area. A nice memorial for the tragedy and hardship they endured. Hope to return to again to see the trails and museum.
Chenoa Cavanaugh-Burg — Google review
Exploring History and Nature at Donner Memorial State Park
Visiting Donner Memorial State Park was an enriching experience that combined a deep dive into history with the beauty of nature. This park is not just a place for outdoor activities; it's a site of historical significance with an impressive museum and an inviting gift shop.
The museum at the park is a standout feature. It offers a comprehensive and respectful portrayal of the Donner Party's story, providing a poignant and educational glimpse into a significant chapter of American history. The exhibits are well-curated and engaging, making it a great history lesson for visitors of all ages.
The staff at the park deserves a special mention for their knowledge and friendliness. They were eager to share information and answer questions, enhancing our understanding and appreciation of the park and its history. Their passion for the park and its story was evident and contagious.
The park itself is a beautiful place to explore. With well-maintained trails and scenic views, it’s a perfect setting for a day of outdoor activities. Whether you're interested in hiking, picnicking, or simply enjoying the tranquility of nature, the park offers something for everyone.
The gift shop at the park was a delightful surprise. It's filled with a variety of interesting and unique items, making it easy to find a special souvenir to remember your visit.
In conclusion, Donner Memorial State Park is a must-visit for anyone interested in American history, nature, or just looking for a peaceful day out. The combination of a well-presented museum, friendly staff, and beautiful natural surroundings makes for a memorable and educational experience. I highly recommend taking the time to explore all that this park has to offer.
Michael Schoenborn — Google review
This place is huge. So many stops for a morning, afternoon, or evening picnic.Since it runs along the lake its so scenic. They have an accessible trail that is 1.3 miles. Lovely state park overall. Very well maintained.
Gurpreet Mangat — Google review
Came down from Canada to live some Donner party realness. Read 12 books before I arrived. And now I'm here! A self guided tour about the Donner party, the chinese and the indigenous people.
I didnt really feel like they had the questions to my answers but they sure tried hard to find out.
We were a little disappointed at how the indigenous people were depicted. Considering they had been here way before the Donners ever arrived.
Beautiful walks, scenery, and views... can be cold and windy, so be prepared.
As a Donner enthusiast I would have liked a little more, a map of the camps would have been helpful.
Overall had a great time, would love to come back, staff was very friendly. I would even love to apply and get a job, so I can share all the information I have on the Donner party with others.
Aaron Molnar — Google review
Beautifully maintained park with plenty of tiny beachlets for a family outing at the edge of Donner Lake.Helpful and friendly staff. 3 Clean restroom spaced a long the parking lots. $10. Day use parking $9.00 for seniors. Large informational illustrated signage along the path between parking and lake. Lots of shady tree areas for relief from the sun. Dog friendly !
Picnic lunch by the lake the best afternoon ever.
Toby Kahn — Google review
This is a well-taken care park. Everything is clean. Dogs are, mostly, on leash. Some parts are very close to the highway and its noise but the noise does eventually fades away. Rangers are very kind and resourceful. Great trees and beautiful birds. Bring your favorite mosquito repellent.
Thomas Regan-Lefebvre — Google review
This is a beautiful state park. Donner lake is stunningly gorgeous. It’s a family and dog friendly place. Just as a reminder, it’s a public state park. To enter its ten dollars per vehicle. Just be respectful and mindful and clean up afterwards.
Mariela Glasder — Google review
Donner state park is amazing. Great for paddle board, kayaking, hanging out at the beach and enjoying the beautiful views.we saw some fools gold floating in the water by the beach. So cool. Highly recommend visiting.
William Dye — Google review
Beautiful and daunting place. The history behind this park is spectacular and heartbreaking. Scenery is gorgeous, easy access and good alternative to a snow park. Kids had fun building our buddy Olaf in front of the statue.
Mrs. C-S — Google review
Been coming here since I was in elementary school. I love everything about this place! The museum, the history, the nature, beautiful lake, trails. One of my favorite places in the world 😊
Kristen Q — Google review
This is a magical place. It was such a needed visit for me to get away and heal. The park is very well kept and there's a lot of easy hiking trails for all Age levels.
Michael S. Copeland — Google review
Great place to go in early winter, before there is too much snow. Easy hiking loop that takes you to the lake and back.
Kristina Pagan — Google review
Visitor centre museum is free and unmissable tribute to emigrant journey on horse carts foot over icy brutal Sierra Nevada Range Mountains .Help of natives and human strength weaknesses were revealed in this pilgrim progress .Chinese efforts to create road way in difficult circumstances is acknowledged.Spiritof California Republic emerges and gen next is reminded of the past .Unmissable store with great books on wildlife trees all the gifts of nature this heaven of Tahoe of Washoes natives has.Do not drive past this.Donner Lake trail is a bonus .
DrHemant Anant Sant — Google review
It's been since 90's we camped. When we were driving up .. started raining hailing in the freeway. I started to laugh .. we must be crazy !! to be camping.
In Campground .. raining, wet .. n laughing.
My calm Hubby .. suggested let's go McD .. eat n wait till Rain stops.
Rain stopped .. n busy set up tent n beddings n tarps.
Big Bear Locker storage for groceries n ice chest.
That night .. tired ..Just cooked easy n quick meal n wine🍷
It rained 2 times. Put tarp on top .. keep us warmer.
Discovered.. our 1 yr old Instant Tent ( Walmart ) is waterproof !!!
We loved the area .. this Campground .. clean nice bathrooms n private showers.. Scenic beautiful hiking areas, Museum n relaxing.
Near Truckee for groceries, Thrift shops n Reno for Atlantis Crab buffet.
We survived !! the rain. Definitely will return
Northstar California Resort is a picturesque destination that boasts comfortable living quarters complete with kitchens, dining options, bars, skiing facilities and mountain tours. It provides an extravagant skiing experience known for its five-star accommodation located right by the slopes. Additionally, Mt.Rose offers Tahoe's Highest Base elevation in the vicinity while Sugarbowl Ski Resort-Lake Tahoe is also accessible. The resort caters to various skill levels as it features beginner-friendly areas alongside challenging black diamond runs for advanced skiers.
This place is pretty expensive, the traffic on the weekend is heavy as expected. The lifts were operational and generally all the slopes were very nice.
There is also a beginner area with "bunny" slopes which was super nice for teaching my wife how to snowboard for the first time. So this place is both beginner friendly and advanced friendly given there are multiple black diamond runs .
Howard — Google review
Beautiful skiing, but give 1 star for overall experience. It’s the first year I bought the ski pass.
Went twice with it. And it’s a waste of time. Took us 1 hour to get from parking to skiing, and 2 hours on the way back. The shuttle line was huge, the line moved slowly, 20-30 min between the buses. Shuttle ride itself took 30 min.
There is no way you can stay in the village to have dinner, because the buses are only till 6pm. So all the crowd is trying to leave resort at the same time and cars and buses are all bumper to bumper.
Add bumper to bumper to get to Truckee - and you drive your car longer than you get to ski.
Nice resort and fast chairs, but how they deal with parking… it’s just not worth it.
Sofia Levina — Google review
i only experienced the mountain snowboarding..
the trails are kinda short compared to other locations..
but the resort looked dope af..
good for beginner snowboarding..
or if you get tired quick..
C — Google review
Rooms are great and a step above. Staff is super helpful. The view is pretty. Need to come back during winter.....and I live in the mountains normally, but it's pretty here. Would live to hit the shops being so close to the resort.
Josh Foshee — Google review
I’ve been coming here for about 3 years straight now and wanted to give a review about the mountain. This is an amazing place to learn how to ski and snowboard. It’s also a great place to learn park riding. The runs are extremely easy. The village is nice for families and those want to chill and have a drink. However, if youre an avid skier or snowboarder I would stay clear of this place. The lines on weekends are far too long to get any more than 8 runs in a day and the grooming and lack of steep runs will get annoying. It’s def more of a Disneyland experience than a real mountain. Food prices are some of the highest I’ve ever seen as well. Watching all the ski teams skip the lines while you wait 20-30 min to get on the lift really ruins the stoke as well. This place would be chill on a weekday but unless it’s the very end of the season I wouldn’t bother with this place on a weekend.
matthew johnston — Google review
Nice place to snowboard and ski. They did a great job of grooming overnight. Great food. Nice and friendly staff. Great outdoor bar by the ice skate ring; love the Mai Tai mixed drink. I come here every year for snowboarding. Definitely recommend to everyone.
Brian Nguyen — Google review
I'm rating the skiing experience in this resort. The ski runs are awesome here, and that is if you manage to get there. The problem with this resort is the single lane highway from there interstate and the single lane road that takes you into the resort parking. Good luck navigating this on any given weekend. I was there this month and on both Saturday and Sunday I had to endure 2 plus hours waiting to get parking, while being only like a mile away from the resort. Quest, as I neared the resort, I found that all the spots were full.
I'm a season pass holder. Why sell me passes in advance when you can't even guarantee parking? I could have stayed within the resort, but that meant paying upwards of $500 per night.
Chair lifts on the second day (when I managed to get parking) were equally crowded and the lines were long.
Do not go here if you plan to go on a weekend. It's not worth it.
Saranyan Rajagopalan — Google review
Nice spot for a little getaway. Weather was warm. Rooms and location were nice. There's also alot of activities to do around there. The lake is about 10-15 minutes away, restaurants,etc. Even more beautiful in the winter with all the snow. That's just my opinion, either way its a beautiful place.Check it out.
Joe Vizcarra — Google review
Fit our desires perfectly. The facilities were very nice, and the location was well situated between Truckee and the lake. Easy, quick access to both, which was surprisingly useful. We also made good use of the excellent trail system on the property, which allowed everything from a quick, level stretch-of-the-legs, to a 5+ mile loop with substantial vertical.
Restaurants within 1-2 minute walks were very convenient. Icing on the cake was an expensive view of the surrounding mountains. Wonderful all around!
Gregory Calkins — Google review
Overall you won't get what you paid for and it will often be disappointing. Generally this is my least favorite Tahoe destination. This resort is nice in appearance but is overall poorly run. Expect to be treated as a wallet and not as a customer. New and temporary staff generally are not helpful, veterans are generally ambivalent. Staff can also be hostile and aggressive as well which is generally a sign of problems within management. I understand visitors can also be difficult and the staff will certainly make you're aware as they voice their complaints.
Blaine Schanfeldt — Google review
This ski resort is a great place for beginners they have lots of trails, and while they look busy, the lines move quickly. The big easy and village run are the best for beginners. I enjoyed my time there and will definitely come back.
Nima Hatami — Google review
We really like the room there , enough space for 6 people to sleep in comfortably, nice fire place. Only thing that we don’t like was in pandemic everything was closed even ice skating with fire pit. We definitely will be back now when everything open
Lilia Dedavets — Google review
A Ski Mountain for Everyone with Nice Groomers and some Steep Terrain Too!
Our trip to Northstar was amazing! We spent 2 days skiing and were able to explore all of the mountains within. I highly recommend Northstar due to the varied terrain — truly something for everyone. My son is more adventurous and loves steep runs, trees, and terrain parks. As for me, I like groomers and getting intentionally lost on the trails. We were able to ski together and separate for me to do a nice blue while he would do something steep/wild and we’d meet at the lift. It was super easy to navigate yet big enough with awesome views that it felt like an adventure.
Lookout mountain has VERY steep runs (e.g. Stampede). How that is not a double black is beyond me! The Backside was our favorite as it had some comfortable blues along with some challenging blacks and amazing tree runs. East ridge has the views of the lake, terrain parks for all abilities, and some easy blues and greens. The area in the middle has a lot of fun blues with adventurous tree runs to the sides. I did a lot of those as my son ventured in and out of the trees with me.
We were having so much fun that we skied from open to close and didn’t go into any of the lodges other than the one at the top of Mt Pluto to use the bathroom and get a quick snack. The fun music and people dancing while taking a break made it a festive atmosphere for sure.
Lastly, we stayed at the Ritz hotel as my wife doesn’t ski so she was pampered and loving the relaxing time in such a lovely hotel while we enjoyed the ski in / ski out convenience.
All in, for this northeast US native who usually skis the mid-Atlantic and New England, this was the best ski experience I have ever had. Maybe the 2+ feet of powder had something to do with that too!!
Jason B — Google review
This was a spectacular day up at Northstar. The gondola was lots of fun, was comfortable, and was easy to get on and off of. The view is absolutely beautiful here. Several of the runs and the park was lots of fun for many different ages. Thank you to the nice lift attendants that helped us!
Aja Brunet — Google review
Lots of intermediate, wide, groomed runs. Fun, tree runs for intermediate 🎿 skiers. Parking and bus shuttles worked great for us. Got there by 8:30 on Saturday and Sunday and had parking at the free Village View parking. Bus pickup within a couple minutes and going back was the same. Bottlenecks going up the mountain in the morning as most everyone needs to take the gondola and then other lifts from mid mountain.
Gary Ogasawara — Google review
Last weekend my family went to enjoy a day at the bike park. My husband and I were meeting our parents at the top and they were watching our 1 year old daughter. We had a cooler full of snacks and our daughters milk. The ticket scanner told us we could not bring up the cooler. While we were going to take our cooler back to the car we spoke to another worker who said it was ok to bring the cooler. When we were back in line the first ticket scanner ran over and told us we could not have it, so we gave up and left it at the bottom.
Come to find out the ticket scanner reported my husband after we had left and now he is banned from the resort. He didn’t report him while we were there because we had done nothing wrong and knew the company would realize that if we were there to plead our case. Northstar has completely mismanaged this situation, by not prioritizing guests and families.
Bo Outland-Feldman — Google review
At nearly $90 a lift ticket for biking, I’ll just go to Downiville and shuttle all day for less. Agree with prior reviewer that the price keeps going up and less and less is being offered (BTW your welcome for the tool I lent you). The tool stands are broken and missing tools, trails are poorly maintained (bush overgrowth and serious braking bumps galore), some staff are nice and some scowl, and of course food is expensive and mediocre. Honestly, I’m pretty much done riding Northstar given the many other just as good and cheaper options in the area.
Rusty H — Google review
How could you not like this beautiful place (and I don't even ski)?!?! I'm here a minimum of at least once a year to draw my Michael Hopkins Event Caricatures, and I think this is my favorite place to draw funny pictures of people. Occasionally, I'll drive up here just to enjoy this beautiful atmosphere. You should definitely make plans to visit Northstar if you're visiting the Reno-Tahoe area.
iamscribbles — Google review
This a very nice, upscale family friendly ski resort. The rooms are hyatt owned, and are luxury rooms. There is plenty of dining, shopping and fun activities while you stay here.
Aura Nissa — Google review
The resort is great I just wish there would be signs for all the restaurants and for the fire pits to work. We had 8 of us find a fire put outside of Petra that was not working. We asked the people of Petra how to turn it on and they informed us that this pit had not worked since last winter!?! Apparently it was not their fire pit but they have asked numerous times for the repair since guests like us repeatedly go to them and inquire. We pay good money to be here for these supposed amenities to not work. I would have given a better rating but little issues like non-working fire pits and lack of sinage for restaurants is the bare minimum a resort can provide. I suppose the silver lining is we bought a great bottle of wine at Petra - so thank you for having this restaurant.
Scott Sentianin — Google review
Nice mountain for family skiing -- especially mid-week and non-holidays. It doesn't handle a crowd well, so try and avoid the popular days. The runs themselves won't intimidate you, but you can get some decent snow on occasion.
Michael Plasterer — Google review
Overall, it's a fun resort to ski at. It's large enough to keep stuff fresh for a full day and probably two. The runs themselves aren't super difficult but there is enough variety to keep the whole family entertained.
The views are gorgeous, especially when you can see the lake.
The 23-24 winter isn't the best for snow so I'll have to come back out when it's a better year to see it's full potential.
Kyle Kempf — Google review
Northstar is an impeccable resort. The village at Northstar is such a nice atmosphere to hang out in. When there are snowstorms however it would be nice if the street sweepers would come to clear the walkways in the village. The last time I was there there were a lot of muddy puddles and a lot of slush making it not a lot of fun to shop at the variety stores
Trisha Goudy — Google review
Went for the day to get some snowboarding in. Needed passes and board rentals for friends and family, staff was super helpful and friendly. My first time and definitely will not be the last. Highly recommend visiting.
Alberto Frigerio — Google review
Great ski resort with nice runs and great snow! There’s some good park features and a half pipe too, which was pretty fun to try out! On Challenger, I set a new speed record on my snowboard, going 52.5 mph!
Jonathan Lane-Smith — Google review
Had a great time skiing and boarding here. It is an intermediate mountain with something for everyone. Great apres and ice skating to top off the day! Make parking reservations and don’t get a day locker (they are $20!!)
Emily Edison — Google review
This review is targeted at skiers/snowboarders. While the location of the resort is very picturesque and the main village itself is cozy and nice to relax at, overall Northstar is totally not worth your time. Here’s why. For starters, the runs are not overwhelmingly great. Blacks feel like blues, blues feel like greens, and greens are cakewalks. The runs do not offer much of a challenge for the experienced skier/snowboarder. The only thing the mountain does particularly well is provide good trees to ride through. However, many people don’t stick to doing that the whole time and spend a large portion of their time on main runs—which to say are busy…is an extreme understatement. Every run seems to be filled with everyone from experienced riders to people who take up the entire run performing an s-turn. Secondly, the resort gets more and more crowded each year. Don’t get me wrong, when I first came here I was looking forward to going on many runs and having a great time with the people I was with. Suffice to say, the majority of the memories I have from that trip were sitting in line waiting for lifts. Do NOT expect to come here and not deal with huge lines. It’s simply unavoidable. The resort just doesn’t have the capacity to deal with the crowds it attracts. Third, the customer service of the workers at the resort is awful. I try to have sympathy for them, maybe it’s just the fact that they are being overworked because of the sheer number of people at Northstar each day. But at the end of the day, their service still isn’t good and they consistently seem to have negative attitudes. Finally, and arguably most importantly, everything is so so overpriced. And I mean EVERYTHING. From food to apparel to lift tickets. On top of having to deal with crowds both on lifts and on the runs, poor customer support, and generally underwhelming runs, you’re having to pay up to twice as much for a lift ticket or pass as you would at another resort. Overall, if you can go to another resort, just go. Northstar is overrated and overpriced.
Nick Petersen — Google review
I really like Northstar! It has got alot busier and I recommend arriving early because you can be turned away because there's no parking 🙄 Epic season pass is the only way to fly...I just kept on going up the mountain to Heavenly 🫡 They have lots of parking but still, arrive early or pay the money and make parking reservations 😜 There's plenty of terrain and the shuttles don't take long. The village draws a crowd, but I can see why 🤩
Paul Oviatt — Google review
As a ski resort (I did not stay here overnight), this place is awesome. I am an epic pass holder, and the resort makes it easy for pass holders. I used the virtual pass (on my phone), which they scanned from inside my jacket pocket. The ski area is honestly pretty big, with varied terrain and skill level, and access via a gondola and highspeed lifts. Plenty of corduroy runs and huge terrain parks. I happened to ski one afternoon and one morning, both after a good night of several inches of snow. The main runs did get skied out by the afternoon, but there was plenty of fresh tracks to be made in the woods, both front side and backside of the mountain. I was impressed by how much fresh snow there was to go around, maybe people gravitate to the larger/more well known resorts around Tahoe leaving less competition for powder here.
So why only 3 stars?? Well, two reasons, as seems to be the case with many resorts, especially those belonging to Vail/epic and ikon groups:
1. Parking fees are out of control. Even showing up mid-day (the most crowded time) on my first day, the free lot said 'closed', and the pay lots weren't full. I am in favor of making skiing accessible to all who enjoy it, and that does not help. Especially for pass holders - maybe give us a break on parking... I can afford a pass, but if you start adding on parking fees every day I want to ski, when, like most people I cannot afford to skip a work week to ski, it's a little extreme
2. the facilities seem to tend to a more luxury crowd. With Tahoe already being a big money magnet, I was hoping a smaller place could have more of a fun ski bum vibe, but I did not get that vibe here. Nothing wrong with luxury itself, but no public restrooms in the areas closest to parking, where the hotel is, is just one example of why it felt slightly less than friendly to a plebeian like myself when I come for the pure joy of skiing, rather than to spend a bunch of money in the base village designer shops. Maybe it's just me and I need to grow thicker skin instead of feeling out of place.
Offbeat rooms in a rustic lodge offering indoor & outdoor hot springs, plus a restaurant & lounge.
Perfect for a 2 night getaway. I came here with my girlfriend during a snow storm and we couldn’t have been happier. The scenery around the facility is stunning; valleys of untouched snow, hearing wind through the evergreens, and soaking in some hot spring water as you forget about everything else.
Check in was friendly and easy. Crystal helped us get acquainted with the facilities, told us about water temperatures, and answered any questions we had. We stayed at the globe hotel a short 5 minute drive away or so and drove to the hot springs every day. We ate food at the philosophy cafe and the local restaurants in town; you can’t go wrong with any because it seems all the chefs are some of the best in the world.
The facilities, they were amazing. Wonderfully cared for, clean, and plenty of space for everyone. You can spend all your time at the more social temple dome area which has sun decks, hot pool, cold baths, warm pool, and sauna. The Phoenix baths are great if you just want privacy, and the meditation pool for the prime nature experience. Do be prepared, this is a clothing optional hot spring area. Some groups attend the hot springs complete covered, some partially covered, and some completely nude. Single, couples, and families all present.
Anyway, before I make this review too long, this place is amazing. Can’t recommend it enough.
Miles Kodama — Google review
Sierra hot springs has 3 main areas that they offer using hot spring water. The main pool area was by far my favorite spot. The main pool area has two options. There's a pool that has pretty warm water. It's nice to swim and chill in. But nearby the pool is a hot pool that is pretty dang hot, but so nice to soak in. My favorite spot by far. Then they had the Phoenix bath's. Which are private rooms on a First come basis. From my experience though I never ran into anybody and in my attempt to use them they did not work. So this was my least favorite area. Finally they have the meditation pool. This area was nice. I would go during the night, and there's nothing nearby. It's just trees and natural light. It was also a very quite area. It was nice but the water wasn't very warm. Once you get in, it would take about five minutes to feel like you were in normal water. Nonetheless with all the options, even clothing being optional, there's enough to keep you busy while relaxing. Finally I opted to stay in the rooms they have on site. The room was nice, beds were neat, and the commons room was basically a kitchen you had fill access too... My only complaint would be how creaky the floors were. It would be a little awkward cause there was this feeling of needing to be quite... But the floor would just creak. Anyways, I would still recommend going and enjoying the hot springs!
Alfonso Salazar — Google review
Cool hot spring the short interaction with the staff was very informative and positive. Extremely nice and helpful. The pools were nice I like the one back in the woods the best. The super hot one was just that. Loved the sauna and cold plunges as well.
Kyle Strong — Google review
Absolutely love this place. Its a complete hidden gem. Keep it a quiet meditation sanctuary please. My only issue is that staying in the lodge, the floors are super noisy and walls are thin. Best to grab a room at their sister hotel down the road if you want to get busy or are a night owl. Otherwise, its a precious 5 stars, goddess getaway. Will be back! Love love love Sierra Hot Springs.
Jenniferbrons — Google review
On November 19th we were the first day pass to arrive, so we soaked alone in the snowy woods to start. Words cannot describe how peaceful an experience this was.
Everything was clean, the water was amazing and we scheduled a second visit before leaving.
Tom Coakley — Google review
Such a beautiful and relaxing place. The pools and tubs were well maintained. There’s a hot and cold plunge, sauna and warm pools. The views are incredible. The staff is friendly. It was so peaceful. I will be going back for sure! Hopefully to stay the night next time!
Holly Talkington — Google review
The Globe Hotel was cool and very nicely remodeled. The only problem with the room was an odd smell that didnt go away after opening the windows and door. We got used to it once we were in the room, but it was a little punch in the nose when we would step back in from soaking. I'm not sure if it was every room there or just room 7?
The soaking and views were awesome. We wished the hot pool in the temple was a little cooler. 111° was too much. Another pool up by the sauna that is like the meditation pool that was 104° to 106° would make this place the perfect soaking destination.
Ryan Anderson — Google review
My partner and I love it here. We will often come back. I hope you enjoy soaking and being naked cause it's the best part.
Ashlee Bruno — Google review
Truly a magical place and one of my favorite getaways with my Partner. Her and I love it here. The atmosphere is wonderful, service is truly kind and their cafe serves delicious food.
Earth Soul — Google review
Spent an afternoon (but n*k*d) (sorry.. No pictures allowed!! ;P ) a couple months ago in what most definitely must have been a magical fairy pond surrounded by a field of glistening dragonflies with the sun streaming through the pines, then doing hot/cold hydrotherapy in the meditation room and sunning in a lounger overlooking a breathtaking vista… I left feeling absolutely invincible, every wisp of wind and brush of clothing against my skin feeling like sheer ecstasy … no words. Would be here at least once a week if I lived closer.
Carey Harlan — Google review
Yikes..... this place is hyped up far too much. It's outdated and run down plus it's a hike to get anywhere. First of all when they say clothing optional that equates to EVERYONE is naked. The pool is entirely too small to be hanging in close quarters with naked strangers. If that's not awkward enough you have to whisper as well making it even more awkward. The meditation pool smelt terrible and had so many bugs flying around your head its impossible to relax and enjoy yourself. To each their own but not my cup of tea. I wouldn't recommend or return.
Jennifer Suttmiller — Google review
A mellow, relaxing abode with delightful hot springs in a beautiful Sierra location. It's a well-preserved hotel that is nicely appointed and very comfortable. Beautiful woodwork everywhere. A place to get away from TVs and cell phone conversations, but there is good wifi and limited cell phone coverage. The kitchen is large and well equipped and rather busy at peak hours, but everybody was cooperative and cleaned up after themselves. Instructive signs everywhere. Lots of wonderful indoor and outdoor places to sit and eat or read or quietly converse. The small shared bathrooms were clean and convenient. The hot springs are the highlight - a short, comfortable walk on either side of the hotel. An amazing variety of settings and temperatures that are perfect for quiet meditation.
David Bunnell — Google review
Been coming here for 20 years. They really have it dialed in nicely now. Reservation system and closed days for the employees to regenerate. We camp in the forest behind and are so grateful that management respects our rights and are increasingly kind. Love this iteration of the springs you’re doing great.
Ezekiel OBrien — Google review
Love this place! Well maintained facilities and beautiful landscape. Unfortunately with the addition of the evening soaks during weekends, the night experience has been significantly impacted. It was way too crowded and loud specially in the Dome, which is supposed to be a quiet area. If you are looking to relax, early mornings are the way to go.
Food at the restaurant is AMAZING!! Very fresh and tasty - only available from 5:30pm to 8pm but if you make your way here, make sure to stop by!
natalia Garzon — Google review
Wonderful place. We drove up, checked in for our day pass, and then enjoyed the main pools for a couple hours. Sauna is excellent with steam option. Showers readily available. Clothing optional of course! The temple dome is magical and the hot/cold circuit is really fun and relaxing. You can smell the minerals! A beautiful view. Currently there is some construction going on near the meditation pool but it didn’t take away from the peace. Definitely worth a visit!
Katarina Stein — Google review
I love Sierra Hot Springs so much. It's one of the most peaceful spots I've been too. The Philosophy Cafe always has delicious food. The only time I don't have a good time is when there are kids splashing in the warm pool. I wish there was a sign that was more clear about no splashing. There is a sign that says in a roundabout way for parents to take their kids elsewhere if their energy is too much but it seems like it's not taken seriously.
Noemi Sparks — Google review
We drove our camper and stayed in this place's parking lot in late October. Wonderful experience! Utterly relaxing, non pretentious. The shared kitchen and lobby is my favorite place to hang out. Spring pools are well maintained, plenty of shower space. Everyone is friendly and respectful.
Voyager Zhang — Google review
everyone walks around naked, literally swarming in the small pool. This is very uncomfortable and outrageous. my vacation is ruined by other people's naked belongings, which violates my boundaries. I don't recommend this place to anyone. From one zone to another you need to walk through mud, the distance is about 1 mile. there is no service, the contingent is terrible. You should at least separate the nudists from the dressed ones according to their activities, let these naked ones gather on separate days, so as not to spoil the impression for other people.
vav — Google review
Amazing experience always! Friendly kind staff who go the extra distance to make you feel loved! There was a live spiritual music playing in the main house , really classy and helped me reconnect to my innermost god.. very healing environment all around . I love to support this local business ❤️
Helen Henslee — Google review
4.5
(796)
•
4.0
(38)
521 Campbell Hot Springs Rd, Sierraville, CA 96126, USA
Chic resort featuring dining, a spa & a golf course, plus a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed clubhouse.
What??!!
My wife and I decided to choose this restaurant for our anniversary dinner on our way to our hotel room. What followed was nothing short of genuine magic!
The staff was fun, authenticly enjoying their role in our "place-to-ourselves" experience. (We loved Tracy!) The chef was simply showing off with bite after bite of OMG. The scenery will force you to forget the piddly details of your day and remind you that life can be inspiring.
... and if you're lucky you'll catch the fresh smells of a recent thunderstorm in the mountains.
We'll never forget this dinner!
David Gonz — Google review
Golf course only. Clubhouse is a Frank Loyd Wright design and beautiful. Staff are excellent. Bartender super. The course is way too difficult to really have fun. It is penal, seemingly unfair, too precise and too hilly and I am a single digit. Lots of lost balls by the group. Our wives, who are both decent golfers, had a terrible time just negotiating the layout. Has wonderful views and was in good shape. Would not play it again.
Mitchell McDaniel — Google review
Beautiful golf course with great views. By far the hardest course I have ever played. Greens are way too difficult to be enjoyable. I don't think I will ever play this course again, it wasn't fun, period. Something needs to change at this place, spoke with a few locals and nobody likes going there because of how difficult it is.
Zack — Google review
My company put us up here for an executive strategy retreat, and we were very disappointed:
1. There was no staff on call or available after hours for checking in, or to turn off the building security alarm that started beeping loudly at 1am and continued until 8am. We called every extension on the hotel phone and no one answered.
2. Our fellow guests were there for a wedding, and partied late into the night, with no regard for people who might want to sleep on a Thursday.
3. The restaurant/cafe doesn’t open until 8, and is outrageously overpriced.
This is a country club masquerading as a hotel, better suited for college parties than business retreats.
Angelo Campus — Google review
What a lovely place for a getaway! If you want to enjoy some quiet time in the mountains, this is the place to go. Tons to do in the area from hiking, biking, water activities, etc. and then the resort itself has a gym, pool, golf course, and a restaurant with some incredible food. Despite being in the era of Covid understaffing, we received some of the best service we've ever had and everyone we interacted with was super helpful. I specifically want to call out Riley, the Food & Beverage Manager and Richard, the General Manager. Both made our stay even more special.
Cynthia Blum — Google review
I cannot recommend this resort unfortunately. I booked two rooms for two nights on short notice for work for a coworker and myself. On our way up to the area we learned that the client we were working for was postponing by two weeks. So, upon check in I notified the front desk that we would only be staying the one night. Since we were over 24 hours until day two I expected to be charged only the one night. No Sir. They charged the full bill ($621) as if we stayed two nights.
The front desk employees are not empowered to make decisions here so I asked to see the manager. She was off of course…for two days. Nobody could help me for two days. Finally after several calls the manager (Carrol Martinelli) worked up the courage to call me back. She would not budge and refund the one night and said that is their policy.
This place is clearly hurting for business. Many of the rooms were not sold during our stay and this is in the middle of the summer. That I was able to get two rooms on such short notice should have told me there are issues with this resort. I don’t understand how companies that do business like this expect to stay in business. I will not be booking business travel here, nor will I consider staying here with my family, though I would have come back otherwise.
Please book your travel reservations with a different resort. This one does not value its customers. They are petty every chance they get.
B Adams — Google review
Golf course only review. Bit of a drive out there. Course is challenging, a lot easier than 25 years ago (which was borderline unfair), and in very good shape. Greens are fast. Definitely looking forward to playing again here next summer.
Eugene Felice — Google review
Nakoma is the hidden gem of the sierras! If you're looking for a private wedding venue that has lodging for your guests, this is my go-to option.
The intimate setting has an exclusive feel, but is anything but pretentious. I loved hanging out by the pool area surrounded by trees and friendly staff. The food is simply incredible! Imagine having a 5-star dining experience in the middle of the woods! Outdoor dinner on the lawn is a MUST and a highlight of mine, with unmatched expansive panoramic mountain views!
As photographer, the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired buildings made for such a nice backdrop. I would highly recommend having your wedding here!
Holly Shankland — Google review
Probably more enjoyable for golfers, people that like to be secluded, camping trip, etc. Scenery was beautiful which is the only reason its getting a 4 for location. I was in town for business and this is where we stayed. The time it takes just to get to a Target, Walmart, any chain store.. about an hour drive. So just make sure to get what you need from whatever city you fly into. The front desk staff was great and very helpful in giving restaurant recommendations. Only reason i am giving a low rating is because of my actual room
2 Queen beds golf view:
1. My bed felt like i was sleeping on a college dorm bed
2. There were ants in my room. Woke up to them in my shower or on/swimming in the toilet every day.
3. No microwave in the rooms. But they do have a "shared one in a room with ice machine that you can use"
4. I couldn't see the golf course from my patio at all
Angie — Google review
This review is solely for the golf course, the service and people at the hotel, restaurants, and golf course/shop were great.
Summer 2023, the greens were in terrible shape. The course itself was in maybe a 3/5 condition, but the design of the course is mediocre. Resort golf at its worst, expect long traverses between every hole.
Between the sharp curves on the paths and the lack of brakes on the carts, whatever else you do pay attention to the (many) SLOW!! signs. I'd try a different course in the Sierras (and I will, next time).
Steve F. — Google review
We loved Nakoma! The area is stunning. It is Tahoe without the crowds. The hotel is not fancy but very comfortable. The rooms with terraces facing the forest / golf course are wonderful - we sat out there often, enjoying the peace and quiet and also getting to know some of our hotel neighbors (there is no privacy on the terrace but we didn't mind - it was fun to meet other guests). THE FOOD AT THE MAIN LODGE IS EXCELLENT. Super friendly staff, even if service was a bit slow. I was very impressed by the healthy, fresh food that wasn't overly salted or sugary. Lots of great choices on the menu. Clearly the chef is excellent. We had a "golf and stay" package which was very reasonably priced and the golf course is hard/hilly/tree-lined but laid back, uncrowded, and fun. Highly recommend the whole experience!
Kim J — Google review
Top notch experience. The Inn, spa, golf, dining are amazing. Views are outstanding. Architecture is beautiful. Can't wait to come back!
If you are any kind of a railroad buff this is a must see and do place on your bucket list. Lots of old locomotives in a variety of railroad cars and a nice historical place. Be run a locomotive program is absolutely worth it. I've done it several times over the last 20 years and there is nothing more fun than driving a diesel locomotive on the tracks. Tell your friends and go experience the place. Stay at the Pullman inn which is very nearby for a good bed and breakfast memory.
Jim Ratliff — Google review
We had a great time on the Santa train! The train ride was really fun and everyone that worked there was super nice too. The kids were able to meet Santa and Mrs Clause and get a cookie and hot coco too.
Marcy Shannon — Google review
Wonderful collection of signature pieces of railroad history. Restoration projects ongoing with a large variety of different cars and locomotives, many of which are operable. Steam locomotive fans will have an operable 0-6-0 very soon which just adds that much more to this wonderful collection. Stop by and enjoy one of the premier railroad museums in California!
Bill Shippen (Bill) — Google review
Extensive collection of historic rolling stock, though some pieces have no relation to WP or it's relatives
Kevin Feeney — Google review
We had a good visit. Plenty of old rolling stock and nice staff in the gift shop. Two things really impress, the freedom to wander among the engines and cars and climb on some rolling stock and the opportunity to ride in an active engine cab or participate in rail crew activities like coupling and uncoupling cars from engine and control hand switches on tiny switching yard. For the hands on train fan this is very cool stuff. It would be nice if the indoor displays were cleaned up and better lit but for an all volunteer operation it is quite the operation.
Craig Philpott — Google review
Awesome museum with great staff who are very friendly and informative. We did the "rent a train" for my dad's birthday and being able to drive a real locomotive was a dream come true! Would highly recommend this for any train enthusiast. Gift shop is a bit lacking but they were happy to accommodate when we couldn't find the right size shirt..
Jake Wasserman — Google review
The Western Pacific Railroad Museum is a nice smaller museum in Portola. It has mostly industrial style trains that would mostly.teanaport goods and people across the U.S. and have since been retired. There are quiet a few trains but none are in prime condition. The cost of $10 per person is a little high in my opinion, $5 a person seems more reasonable. A nice place to pit stop if passing through the area. Can easily see all the trains in an hour or less and some you are able to go inside of.
Brendan Kiely — Google review
This place is wonderful for the train enthusiast. My son loves this place. Friendly staff and the train rides are nice. You just purchase one ticket and you can ride all day. Lots of shirts to choose from in the gift shop.
Amber Luster — Google review
A yearly must for us locals. It's definitely cold, but always something short, sweet and fun too with the kids..
This year had a new Mr and Ms Claus.. definitely not a home run on Santa for sure..
But I guess I'm just not use to the new one.. the same gentleman has been Santa in all of Portolas Holiday festivities for well over 30 years until he retired his suit and sleigh last year. He has been Santa for not only myself but my older brothers as well as all of our children throughout the years. And idk if anyone can be the man in red quite like he was.
To Mr Dave Rudolph of Old Town Portola California,
thank you for the many years of Holiday Cheer you have to do many of us.. from the time we were children on into the next generation.. I'm glad my kids knew what it was like to have Santa like you..
Enjoy your retirement, it's well deserved.. you'll forever be our Santa Claus.. ❤️🎄
Kamiko Manning (Kamiko Thatcher) — Google review
This is a hands-on museum where not only can you climb into the cab of some of the engines. You can also ride on a train, and if you wish, you can schedule a "drive a locomotive" session where you can actually drive one of the two active locomotives around the loop of track in the facility.
There's all sorts of rolling stock including gigantic snowblowers, cranes, caboose, and other rail cars.
The museum offers a fascinating look into the railroad history of the Western United States during its heyday.
Highly recommended for both adults and children.
Anthony Watts — Google review
Good place to buy RR shirts and obscure books. Great stuff if you’re a Foamer. In truth, the caboose ride is lame and not worth the steam and a lot of the old rolling stock can still be found strewn across various rail yards and sidings in the continental United States.
Joseph Mitchell — Google review
If you're a trainhead this is the place for you.
One of the cool things is you can go in and out of old train cars.
You can also go on train rides as many as you want and for an extra amount of money drive a train!
We had a really good time with a little one.
Staff was friendly and all customers were excited to be there.